GULICK  HYGIENE  SERIES 


MERGENCES 


s% 


1   BY  CHARLOTTE  VETTER  GULICK 


mm 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 

Dr.  .ST   C.    MOORI 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2008  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/emergenciesOOguli 


THE    GULICK    HYGIENE    SERIES 

BY 

LUTHER  HALSEY  GULICK,  M.D. 


THE 

GULICK 

HYGIENE   SERIES 

Book     1. 

Good  Health 

List  price.  40  cents 

Book    11. 

Emergencies 

List  price.  40  cents 

Book   III. 

Town  and  City 

List  price,  50  cents 

Book  IV. 

The  Body  at  Work 

List  price,  50  cents 

Book   V. 

Control  of  Body  and 

Mind 

List  price,  50  cents 

THE  gulick:  hygiene  series 


Book  Two 


EMERGENCIES 


BY 


CHARLOTTE  VETTER  GULICK 


GINN  &  COMPANY 

BOSTON  •   NEW  YORK  •  CHICAGO  •  LONDON 


Entbred  at  Stationers'  Hall 


( ',<  iii  RIGHT,  1909,  BY 
LUTHER   H.  GULICK 


ALL    RIGHTS    Rl 


89.5 


/ 


(the   aHmtum    grtea 

C.  INN    .V    COMPANY  •  PRO- 
PRIETORS •  BOSTON  •  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

A  clipping  bureau  has  for  nine  months  furnished  the 
author  with  newspaper  accounts  of  accidents  to  children. 
These  have  been  tabulated  and  analyzed. 

Decision  as  to  the  classes  of  accidents  which  should 
and  which  should  not  receive  particular  emphasis  has 
been  reached  by  a  careful  study  of  these  records,  supple- 
mented by  the  lessons  of  a  large  range  of  personal 
experience. 

The  book  has,  therefore,  been  written  on  the  basis  of 
>     concrete  cases,  not  from  theory  nor  from  a  compilation 

of  what  has  generally  been  written  in  first-aid  books. 
Vd       To  several   distinctive  features  of  the   book   especial 
attention  is  invited : 

i.  The  new  method  of  artificial  respiration  which  has 
been  adopted  in  England  and  in  various  other  European 
countries.  The  method  is  so  simple  that  children  can  use 
it ;  it  is  easily  learned,  and  once  learned  not  easily  forgotten. 

2.  The  water  treatment  of  burns  until  the  doctor 
comes. 

3.  The  necessity  of  warning  children  about  crossing 
streets.  It  appears  that  about  one  third  of  all  serious 
accidents  to  children  are  due  to  this  cause. 


215159 


vi  I  Ml  RGEN(  II  - 

4.  The  fact  that  most  dog  bites  come  as  a  result  of 
provocation.  More  boys  are  bitten  than  girls  or  adults. 
Particular  interest  attaches  to  the  table  showing  that 
England  exterminated  rabies  in  four  years  by  having 
all  dogs  muzzled. 

5.  The  futility  of  fear  of  snakes  and  lightning".  The 
number  of  accidents  from  these  causes  is  practically 
negligible. 

6.  The  value  of  earing  for  little  cuts  and  burns  which 
affords  practice  for  the  treatment  of  more  serious  injuries. 

7.  The  importance  of  shutting  doors  and  windows  in 
case  of  fire  so  as  to  stop  draughts,  thus  confining  the 
fire  to  one   room  or  floor. 

8.  The  soap-and-water  treatment  for  ivy  poisoning. 

9.  The  need  of  familiarizing  children  with  the  use  of 
antiseptics. 

It  has  been  kept  in  mind  that  it  is  to  the  minor  treat- 
ment of  injuries,  such  as  cuts,  stings,  and  burns,  that  chil- 
dren should  give  especial  attention. 

'I  he  thought  of  the  author  has  been  more  how  to  avoid 
accidents  than  what  to  do  in  case  of  accidents. 

The  illustrations  for  the  book  have  been  gathered  from 
man_\-  sources.  Most  of  them  are  from  photographs  taken 
by  or  tor  the  author,  and  have  never  been  used  before; 
Others  arc  in  common  use  in  first-aid  books. 

Grateful  acknowledgment  is  due  to  Dr.  G.  Basil  Price 
<>f  London  for  the  use  of  the  picture  of  the  chickens,  and 


PREFACE  vii 

those  of  the  frogs'  spawn  and  the  tadpoles;  to  Bellevue 
and  .Allied  Hospitals  for  the  use  of  the  Fordham  Hos- 
pital pictures;  to  Miss  Annie  Oakes  Huntington  for  the 
poison-ivy  and  swamp-sumac  pictures ;  also  to  the  Society 
for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  for  the  dog- 
ambulance  picture.  The  pictures  of  the  skin,  illustrating 
the  three  degrees  of  burns,  are  purely  diagrammatic. 

The  author  is  deeply  indebted  to  friends  of  the  medical 
profession  who  have  answered  questions  and  read  the 
manuscript  while  in  preparation. 

C.  V.  G. 


EDITOR'S  NOTE 

We  arc  in  the  midst  of  a  world-wide  movement  tend- 
ing toward  the  increase  of  health  and  the  conservation 
of  human  vitality.  The  average  length  of  life  has  been 
increased  within  comparatively  recent  times  from  approxi- 
mately twenty-three  years  —  which  is  the  present  average 
length  of  life  in  India  —  to  forty-four  years  in  America 
and  fifty  years  in  Sweden.  We  have  progressively  con- 
quered, one  after  another,  the  great  diseases  that  in 
the  past  seriously  decimated  our  kind.  Typhus,  typhoid, 
scarlet,  and  malarial  fevers  are  under  control ;  the  plague, 
smallpox,  rabies,  diphtheria  have  been  mastered  to  a  large 
extent.  The  new  movement  looks  not  merely  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  disease,  but  to  the  positive  building  up  of  the 
power  to  live  —  fully,  efficiently,  happily.  It  concerns  it- 
self with  such  matters  as  food,  fresh  air,  sleep,  posture, 
worry,  etc.  The  object  of  this  series  of  books  on  hygiene 
is  to  teach  the  fundamental  facts  of  health  in  such  a  way 
that  the  teaching  shall  result  in  the  formation  of  health 
habits  by  the  children. 

Book  I,  Good  Health,  gives  the  general  point  of  view, 
and  largely  makes  its  appeal  by  telling  what  are  the 
actual  results  of  various  ways  of  living. 


x  I  MERGENCIES 

Book  II.  Emergencies,  teaches  what  to  do  in  case  of 
accidents,  and  particularly  how  to  avoid  them. 

Book  III,  Town  and  City,  tells  about  the  hygiene  of 
the  community,  i.e.  the  necessity  for  clean  water,  clean 
streets,  ventilation,  etc 

Book  IV,  The  Body  at  Work,  tells  about  circulation, 
about  digestion,  and  how  each  bodily  function  may  be 
kept  in  most  favorable  action. 

Book  V,  Control  of  Body  and  Mind,  tells  about  the  use 
of  the  >en>e>  and  the  nervous  system. 

Each  of  the  books  of  this  series  gives  careful  attention 
to  the  important  bearing  of  these  subjects  on  alcohol  and 
narcotics. 

The  book  on  Emergencies  bases  its  claim  to  utility 
upon  the  fact  that  emergencies  mean  highly  dramatic 
and  emotional  moments.  If  we  can  seize  those  moments 
and  make  of  the  occasion  a  means  to  give  the  child  not 
only  information  but  also  habits  that  shall  stand  him  in 
good  stead  in  the  daily  conduct  of  life,  the  book  will  have 
accomplished  its  end.  Emergencies  and  accidents  may 
be  avoided  to  a  large  extent  by  rational  living  and  action. 
This  fact  is  the  basis  of  good  health. 

For  example,  it  has  become  so  evident  that  engineers 
who  arc  even  slightly  under  the  influence  of  alcohol 
an-  not  reliable  when  in  that  condition  and  are  apt 
to  make  mistakes  resulting  in  disaster,  that  it  is  now 
the    common    practice    among    railroad     and    steamship 


EDITOR'S  NOTE  xi 

companies  to   refuse   to   employ   those   who   are   known 
to  drink. 

If,  during  this  present  great  wave  of  interest  in  good 
health,  we  can  fasten  upon  the  children  habits  that 
will  raise  the  average  of  health,  the  length  of  life,  and 
the  happiness  of  our  kind,  this  accomplishment  will 
constitute  another  of  the  splendid  achievements  of  our 
schools.  Luther  Halsey  Guliuk 


CONTENTS 


Chapter 

I.  The   Importance  of  the  Study  of  First  Aid  to  the 


Pa<;f. 


Injured      l 

II.  About  Firearms  and  Air  Rifles 5 

III.  How  to  Carry  the  Injured i° 

IV.  Playing  in  the  Streets '5 

V.  Sprains 21 

VI.  Punctured  Wounds 25 

VII.  Cuts  and  Bruises 3° 

VIII.   How  Wounds  Heal 36 

IX.  Bandages 39 

X.  What  the  City  does  for  People  in  Case  of  Accident  .  46 

XI.  Burns 52 

XII.  How  Burns  are  Cared  For 57 

XIII.  Fires 63 

XIV.  Eye  Troubles 67 

XV.  Toothache  and  Accidents  to  the  Teeth 7~ 

XVI.  Accidents  to  the  Nose 77 

XVII.  Poisons 82 

XVIII.  Poisons  — Treatment  and  Antidotes 88 

XIX.  Alcohol  a  Poison 95 

xiii 


xiv  CONTENTS 

Page 

XX.  Dog  Bites 101 

XXI.  Miscellaneous  Accidents io.s 

XXII.  .\i<im\is  from   Hi  ai   and  Cold 115 

\.\lll.  Drowning 120 

XXIV.  Artificial  Respiration 126 

XXV.  l'i  ints  Poisonous  ro  ink  Touch 131 

XXVI.  Snaki    Bites  and  Inse<  i    Stings 137 

XXVII.  Accidents  from  Electricity 141 

XXVIII.  Fourth  of  Ji  i.\   Accidents 145 

XXIX.  \\  11  \  1   makes  a  Hero 151 

l"\s '55 

Glossary 165 

Index 169 


EMERGENCIES 


CHAPTER   I 

THE    IMPORTANCE   OF    THE    STUDY    OF    FIRST   AID 
TO   THE   INJURED 

It  would  be  remarkable  if  there  is  a  child  living  who 
has  not  had  sonic  kind  of  an  accident  at  one  time  or 
another.  Cuts,  burns,  nosebleed,  slivers,  hiccoughs,  stings, 
and  choking  are  of  everyday  occurrence.  It  is  not  usual 
to  call  a  doctor  when  one  has  a  slight  cut,  yet  there  is  a 
right  way  and  a  wrong  way  to  take  care  of  even  so  small 
a  wound  as  this.  If  cared  for  rightly,  no  pus  will  form 
and  the  cut  will  heal  within  a  few  clays.  But  if  neglected, 
even  a  small  cut  may  make  trouble  for  a  long  time  and 
finally  require  the  attention  of  a  doctor. 

I  know  a  girl  who  was  disabled  the  greater  part  of  a 
summer  because  a  cut  on  her  leg  had  not  been  properly 
cared  for  at  the  beginning. 

We  do  not  call  a  doctor  to  take  care  of  a  slight  burn 
such  as  every  girl  who  helps  in  the  kitchen  is  sure  to 
have  at  one  time  or  another,  and  yet  there  is  a  right  and 
wrong  way  to  treat  small  burns. 

If  we  take  care  of  the  small  cuts  and  burns  in  the 
right   way,   it   gives    us   practice   for    larger   ones.    This 


1  MERGENCIES 

practice    is   thoroughly  worth   while.    Sometimes    boys 

and  girls  think  it  is  brave  to  pay  no  attention  to  little 
wounds.  They  think  it  looks  childish  to  bother  about 
them.  If  you  ever  have  this  idea,  think  of  the  splendid 
chance  for  practice  you  are  losing  every  time  you  neg- 
lect a  wound. 

It  is  interesting  to  see  how  quickly  you  can  make  a 
wound  heal.  A  little  boy  I  know  has  learned  to  sharpen 
his  knife  so  that  it  will  cut  almost  like  a  razor.  He  has 
become  so  expert  in  knife  sharpening  that  his  friends 
bring  their  knives  to  him  to  sharpen.  A  few  days  ago 
he  cut  himself  badly.  The  cut  was  deep  and  fully  a  half 
inch  long  across  the  end  of  his  first  finger.  It  bled  so 
freely  that  several  bandages  were  soon  soaked  through. 
It  was  carefully  attended  to  every  day,  and  in  less  than  a 
week  the  cut  was  healed  together.  Since  no  poisonous 
microbes  had  been  allowed  to  get  into  it,  it  healed  with- 
out becoming  the  least  inflamed. 

We  know  much  more  about  taking  care  of  wounds 
now  than  we  did  once.  The  use  of  antiseptics,  the 
niii  robe-killing  solutions,  is  a  wonderful  help  in  this 
and    i>   quite    new. 

You  know  workmen  often  get  insured  against  acci- 
dents. Since  the  doctors  have  learned  to  use  antiseptics, 
one  insurance  company  has  cut  down  the  time  allowed 
the  workmen  for  getting  well  from  sixteen  days  to 
eleven  days.    That   is,  on  the  average  it  takes  wounds 


THE  STUDY  OF   FIRST  All)  TO  THE   [NJURED         3 

five  days  less  to  heal  than  in  the  days  when  antiseptics 
were  unknown. 

Knowing  what  to  do  at  the  right  time  saxes  suffering 
and  often  death.    On  June  3,   190S,  a  boy  and  a  girl  in 


Fire  Drill  in  a  New  York  Public  School 

New  York  saved  the  lives  of  nine  people  at  a  fire.  I 
doubt  very  much  if  they  would  or  could  have  done  this, 
had  it  not  been  that  they  were  accustomed  to  the  won- 
derful fire  drills  in  the  public  schools.    They  kept  their 


4  I  MERGENCIES 

self-possession  and  knew  what  to  do.  The  boy  climbed 
downstairs  on  his  hands  and  knees  with  a  sister  astride 
his  hack.  The  girl  carried  a  brother  and  sister  down  a 
thv  escape,  and  then  went  back  and  directed  others  what 
to  do. 

Knowing  what  to  do  makes  one  self-possessed  and 
cool-headed.  It  is  the  ignorant  person  who  loses  his 
head   and   makes   himself  generally   ridiculous   and   use- 

— .  —  worse  than  useless,  for  he  is  in  the  way  of  those 
who  might  be  helping.  All  the  world  loves  a  hero  or  a 
heroine.  Whenever  a  boy  or  a  girl  saves  another's  life 
the  newspapers  tell  all  about  it,  and  we  all  like  to  read 
such  a  story. 

There  are  some  things  which  it  is  much  better  to 
learn  from  a  book  than  from  experience.  To  learn  from 
a  book  how  to  carry  a  gun  properly  is  much  better  than 
to  learn  it  as  Roy  did  (see  page  5),  by  experience. 

For  the  last  nine  months  a  clipping  bureau  has  been 
sending  me  thousands  of  newspaper  accounts  of  acci- 
dents to  children  all  over  the  country.  I  have  studied 
the^c-  with  the  purpose  of  rinding  out  the  special  kinds  of 
aa  idents  that  children  are  most  likely  to  meet  with.  If 
you  know  where  the-  greatest  danger  lies,  you  will  be 
more  likely   to  avoid   it. 

I  low  to  avoid  accidents  is  just  as  important  a  subject 
as  how  n.  a<  t  when  accidents  happen,  but  the  man  who 
know>  both  things  is  doubly  well  prepared  lor  life. 


CHAPTER   II 
ABOUT   FIREARMS   AND   AIR  RIFLES 

Firearms 

"  Let 's  play  with  the  Volver,"  said  seven-year-old  Roy 
to  bis  brother  Louis,  who  was  two  years  older.  A  minute 
later  Louis  was  writhing  on  the  floor  with  a  32-caliber 
bullet  in  his  breast,  near  his  heart,  and  Roy,  who  had 
accidentally  done  the  shooting,  was  almost  frantic.  "  The 
doctor  says  Louis  will  probably  die,"  says  the  newspaper 
that  reported  the  accident.    Roy  cried  himself  to  sleep. 

Here  is  another  story  to  put  beside  it. 

"  Lefa,  a  six-year-old  girl,  is  recovering  from  a  sad 
accident.  Last  Friday  her  left  arm  was  blown  off  by  the 
accidental  discharge  of  a  shotgun  held  by  her  ten-year- 
old  brother,  who  was  playing  soldier.  Some  of  the  shot 
entered  her  thigh  and  hip.  Medical  aid  was  quickly 
called  and  she  was  taken  to  the  hospital.  She  stood  the 
shock  remarkably  well  and  will  recover.  Her  brother  is 
prostrated  over  the  acciclent.,, 

During  the  month  of  March,  1908,  I  found  in  the 
newspapers  forty-two  notices  about  children  who  were 
accidentally  shot.  I  always  feel  sorry  for  the  boy  or  girl 
who  did  the  shooting.    Think  of  little  Roy.    All  his  life 

5 


6  EMERGENCIES 

long  he  will  blame  himself.  The  revolver  was  old  and 
broken.  He  bad  no  idea  it  was  loaded.  That  is  always 
the  ease.  Children  should  be  brought  up  to  treat  even- 
pistol  or  rifle  or  gun  as  if  it  were  loaded.  They  should 
learn  to  hold  it  with  muzzle  toward  the  ground,  but  not 


Carrying   \  Gun  <  )orre<  i  i.v 


pointed  toward  the  feet.  Never  point  a  weapon  at  any 
one.  no  matter  how  certain  you  are  that  it  is  not  loaded. 
It  is  not  safe.  Hundreds  of  persons  are  shot  every  year 
by  people  who  are  "certain"  their  weapons  are  not  loaded. 
People  cannot  be  certain  about  things  of  that  kind.  No 
memory   is   absolutely   trustworthy.    Besides,  some  one 


ABOUT  FIREARMS  AND  AIR    RIFLES  7 

may  put  a  cartridge  in  your  revolver  when  you  do  not 

know  it. 

I  heard  of  a  boy  who  went  out  hunting  one  day.  He 
shot  at  different  things,  but  the  rifle  did  not  oo  off.  He 
came  home  and  pointed  it  at  his  father's  best  cow.  Next 
he  took  aim  at  an  old  lien,  and  that  time  the  rifle  went 
off  and  the  hen  was  killed.  It  taught  him  the  lesson 
that  you  cannot  be  certain  about  firearms  being  harm- 
less.   Too  often  the  little  rhyme  tells  a  true  story : 

Boy,  gun, 
Joy,  fun,  — 
Gun  bust, 
Boy  dust. 

Here  are  two  more  records  out  of  the  newspapers : 

"  Carrie  W.,  a  nine-year-old  school  girl,  was  seriously 
injured  by  playing  with  some  revolver  cartridges.  She 
struck  one  with  a  stone,  and  the  exploded  cartridge 
blew  off  three  fingers  of  her  left  hand." 

"  William  C,  because  he  wanted  to  hear  a  dynamite 
cap  explode,  is  in  the  hospital  suffering  with  a  burned 
face,  and  the  ends  of  four  fingers  are  missing  from  his 
right  hand.    He  hit  the  cap  with  a  hammer." 

Many  children  are  injured  by  playing  with  powder 
and  cartridge  or  dynamite  caps.  You  would  think  that 
children  would  be  afraid  to  play  with  them,  and  yet 
there  are  many  accidents  of  this  kind  every  month  in 
the  year. 


EMERGENCIES 


Air  Rifles 


I  asked  a  boy  a  few  days  ago  if  air  rifles  were  danger- 
ous, lie  said,  "Oh,  no,  the  bullets  sting  a  little  but  they 
arc  not  dangerous."  1  had  heard  that  they  were  danger- 
ous, and  that  in  some  cities  they  were  trying  to  pass  a 
law  forbidding  boys  to  have  them.  I  have  learned  since 
that  air  rifles  are  not  all  the  same.  Some  are  not  danger- 
ous, and  .some  are.  I  am  going  to  tell  you  about  a  boy 
who  thought  his  air  gun  was  harmless. 

Joe  was  having  a  Wild  West  Show  in  his  back  yard. 
I  le  wa>  armed  with  an  air  rifle  and  started  firing  at  a 
bull's-eye.  1  le  hit  the  mark  after  several  failures,  and 
wa>  cheered  by  the  spectators.  Then  he  took  another 
shot,  and  Frankie,  his  best  friend,  fell  down  with  a 
-<  ream.  Yet  no  one  thought  he  had  been  hurt,  for  there 
had  been  so  much  playing  at  falling  dead  that  they 
thought  he  was  only  making  believe.  Hut  when  they 
saw  his  brother  Willie  rush  screaming  to  his  side  and 
saw  blood  coming  from  Frankie's  right  eye,  they  knew 
full  well  that  something  had  happened.  He  was  taken  to 
the  hospital,  but  before  the  doctors  had  time  to  examine 
him  he  had  died.  Joe,  in  the  meantime,  ran  through  the 
cellar  and  to  his  church  and  prayed  that  God  might  save 
Frankie's  life.  It  was  there  the  policemen  found  him. 
I  hey  walked  up  the  aisle  to  the  very  front,  but  Joe  did 
not   hear  them  until    they    touched    his    shoulder.    Then, 


ABOUT  FIREARMS  AND  AIR    RIFLES 


9 


with  his  face  stained  with  tears,  lie  said,  "  I  le  is  n't  dead, 
is  lie?  Honestly,  I  did  n't  mean  to  do  it."  The  policemen 
tried  to  comfort  him,  but  it  was  of  no  use.  They  took 
him  to  the  Children's  Society,  and  there  he  had  to  be 
put  in  a  room  alone  so  that  other  boys  would  not  be 
disturbed  by  his  sobs.  It  was  very  late  when  he  finally 
cried  himself  to  sleep. 

To  the  Teacher.  It  may  seem  rather  unimportant  to  have  children 
praetiee  holding  a  gun  correctly,  but  it  is  only  by  doing  it  that  the  aver- 
age child  can  really  learn  how  it  is  done.  It  is  no  use  to  assume  that  boys 
are  not  going  to  handle  guns,  for  practically  every  boy  handles  a  gun  at 
one  time  or  another.  A  wand  or  a  stick  of  any  kind  is  all  that  is  neces- 
sary for  this  practice.  It  is  well  to  remember  that  the  most  effective 
knowledge  comes  through  action. 


CHAPTER    III 

HOW  TO   CARRY   THE   INJURED 

If  an  accident  has  happened,  the  first  thing  to  be  con- 
sidered is  how  to  get  a  doctor,  or  how  to  get  the  injured 
one  to  a  doctor  or  to  a  hospital  as  soon  as  possible. 
One  should  not  attempt  to  carry  a  badly  injured  person. 


Ring  Seat  made  with  a  Handkerchief 

Carrying  the  patient,  in  case  of  a  broken  leg,  has  been 
known  to  make  a  ((impound  fracture  of  a  simple  one. 
If  the  attempt  i>  made  to  carry  the  patient  to  a  doctor, 
the  easiest  method  must  be  considered,  both  for  the 
patient  and  for  those  doing  the  carrying.  We  all  know 
the  "  Lady's  Chair,"  made  with  four  hands  or  three  hands. 
'I  he  three-handed  seat  leaves  one  hand  free  to  support 
the  patient's  back.  Both  of  these  .seats,  however,are  diffi- 
cult to  hold.  The  hands  tire  quickly,  and  are  likely  to 
slip.     A   scat   made   with  a   ring  is  more  easily  held  and 


HOW  TO  CARRY  THE   [NJURED 


i  i 


leaves  two  hands  free  to  support  the  patient's  back.  This 
ring  can  be  made  with  a  handkerchief  or  a  towel  or  a  belt 
or  piece  of  rope.  In  tying  the  ends  one  should  be  careful 
to  use  the  square  or  reef  knot  that  does  not  slip  (see 
page  40).  A  handkerchief  makes  the  right-sized  ring. 
Notice  that  it  is  to  be  grasped 
from  underneath. 

Another  way  of  carrying 
an  injured  person  is  to  make 
a  lanier  ring  with  a  blanket 
or  sheet  by  tying  the  diago- 
nally opposite  corners  to- 
gether. Two  persons  place 
this  ring  over  their  heads, 
as  shown  in  the  picture.  To 
get  the  patient  on  it,  it  is 
necessary  to  kneel  and  draw 
him  carefully  upon  the  loop 
made  by  the  sheet.  This  seat 
has  the  advantage  of  leaving 
all  four  hands  free  to  help 
support  the  patient.  It  is  about  the  easiest  way  for  those 
who  are  doing  the  carrying.  It  might  be  very  helpful 
for  boys  off  camping,  if  any  accident  should  happen. 
This  seat  should  be  high.  If  the  ring  is  very  long,  it 
brings  the  center  of  gravity  too  low  for  the  comfort  of 
those  doing  the  work.    Try  making  such  a  seat,  and  you 


Blanket  Ring 


I  2 


1  MERGENCIES 


can  see  for  yourself  how 
much  easier  it  is  to  have 
a  high  seat  than  a  low  one. 
Another  method  of  car- 
rying a  helpless  person  is 
this:  one  person  puts  his 
arms  under  the  patient's 
arms  from  behind,  and  an- 
other person  grasps  the 
legs  on  each  side,  as  shown 
in  the  picture.  In  this  way 
the  patient  may  be  gently 
lifted  from  the  ground  and 
Another  Meti carried    a   long   distance 

without  much  fatigue.    Of  course  a  person  with  broken 

ribs  ought   not  to  be  carried 

in  such  a  way.    The  stronger 

of  the  two  bearers  should  take 

tlie  back  position,  as  he  has 

more  weight  to  carry. 

Another  method  of  earn- 
ing an  injured  person  is  this: 

seat  the  person  in  an  ordinary 

(hair,  tip  it  back  to  the  angle  II 

most  comfortable  for  the  pa- 
tient,  and    let    two   persons 

(  any  it.  one  by  the  back  and 

the  other  by  the  fore  legs.  a  litter  made  won  A  chair 


HOW  TO  CARRY  THE  [NJURED 


13 


A  person  might  be  utterly  helpless,  as  when  overcome 
with  smoke,  and  you  might  happen  to  be  the  only  one 
on  hand  to  rescue  him.  In 
such  a  case  get  the  patient 
on  a  chair  if  possible,  put 
your  shoulder  against  his 
stomach,  grasp  an  arm,  and 
pull  him  on  your  shoulder, 
balancing  him  there  just  as 


you  would  a  bag  of  flour. 
Practice  carrying  some  one 
in  this  way.  It  is  a  good 
plan  to  find  out  how  it  feels. 
Many  a  fireman  has  carried 
people  out  of  burning  build- 
ings in  this  manner.  This 
method  leaves  one  arm  free 
with  which  to  hold  on  to  a 
ladder 

An   improvised   litter   is  another  way  of   carrying  in- 
jured people.    One  can   be  made  in  various  ways.    Take 


How  One  Person  may  carry 
Another 


Litter  made  with  Blanket  and  Oaks 

two  poles  (two  oars,  or  two  tent  poles,  or  whatever  is  at 
hand)  and  roll  a  blanket  onto  each  pole  until  you  get 
the  desired  width.    The  weight  of  the   patient   will   hold 


i4  EMERG1  \<  M  S 

the  blanket  on  the  poles.  If  a  blanket  is  not  at  hand, 
coats  can  be  buttoned  around  the  poles,  or  sacks  might 
be  cut  open  and  the  poles  pushed  through. 

All  these  ways  of  earning  people  you  can  practice  on 
your  companions  or  brothers  and  sisters.  It  is  good 
sport.  Besides,  who  knows  how  valuable  such  knowledge 
may  sometime  prove? 

To  mi  Teacher.  Unless  the  children  are  drilled  in  making  these 
scats  in  the  class  room,  they  will  not  learn  how  to  use  them.  Simply 
reading  the  text  and  seeing  the  pictures  are  not  enough. 

A  good  plan  would  be  to  get  a  child  to  bring  a  blanket  or  sheet 
to  school  and  tie  the  opposite  corners  together.  The  ring  thus  made 
should  be  adjusted  over  the  shoulders  of  the  children.  It  will  need  ad- 
justing to  fit  the  children  of  different  sizes.  Let  the  children  try  to  use 
it  in  turn.  In  this  seat  it  is  very  important  to  have  the  center  of  gravity 
in  the  right  place.  When  the  ring  is  too  large  it  brings  the  seat  so  low- 
that  it  is  difficult  for  those  carrying  to  stand  up  straight.  The  children 
should  always  be  impressed  with  the  fact  that  it  is  important  to  stand 
straight. 

This  practice  is  good  exercise  and  will  do  more  to  fix  the  method  in 
the  children's  minds  than  reading  the  text  a  dozen  times. 

Another  day  try  the  ring  seat.  Do  not  try  to  teach  more  than  one 
method  at  a  time. 

The  Lady's  (hair  is  not  worth  while;  besides,  the  children  know  it. 

If  the  boys  can  get  two  poles  or  oars,  the  same  blanket  used  for  the 
seat  can  be  used  in  making  a  litter. 


CHAPTER   IV 

PLAYING   IN  THE   STREETS 

During  the  month  of  June,  1908,  one  third  of  all  the 
accidents  to  children,  as  shown  by  the  notices  in  the 
newspapers,  were  street  accidents  due  to  moving  vehi- 
cles of  one  kind  or  another,  or  to  children  being  tram- 
pled on  by  horses. 

162  children  were  run  over  by  trolley  cars. 

1 42  children  were  run  over  by  wagons  and  carriages. 

84  children  were  run  over  by  automobiles. 

50  children  were  run  over  by  bicycles. 

52  children  were  run  over  by  trains. 

79  children  were  trampled  on  by  horses. 

As  you  see,  more  of  the  accidents  were  due  to  trolley 
cars  than  to  anything  else.  No  motorman  or  fireman 
or  chauffeur  wants  to  run  over  a  boy  or  a  girl.  From 
the  way  people  sometimes  blame  motormen,  it  almost 
seems  as  if  they  thought  that  the  motorman  liked  to  run 
over  children. 

I  want  to  tell  you  two  stories,  one  about  a  fireman 
and  the  other  about  a  chauffeur. 

One  Christmas  morning,  several  years  ago,  the  fire 
alarm  rang  in  a  section  of  the  city  where  the  streets  were 

15 


i6  EMERGENCIES 

narrow  and  crowded  with  men  and  women  and  children. 
Out  dashed  the  fire  engine,  and  there  was  a  brave  fireman 
on  the  driver's  seat.  lie  turned  a  corner,  and  there,  right 
before  him,  were  two  children  playing  in  the  street.  He 
did  not  hesitate  a  second,  but  guided  his  three  beautiful 
horses  onto  the  sidewalk.  They  dashed  through  a  large 
plate-glass  window  and  the  brave  driver  was  instantly 
killed. 

( )n  another  morning  a  little  boy  ran  directly  in  front  of 
an  automobile.  The  chauffeur  did  not  hesitate,  but  turned 
his  machine  onto  the  sidewalk,  smashing  it  to  pieces  and 
severely  injuring  himself.    But  he  saved  the  boy's  life. 

Sometimes  firemen  and  chauffeurs,  bv  risking  their 
own  lives,  can  save  the  life  of  a  child.  Often  and  often 
they  have  done  this.  Hut  did  you  ever  think  how  it  is 
with  a  motorman?  His  car  is  fast  on  a  track.  He  can't 
turn  out  for  any  one.  All  he  can  do  is  to  put  on  the 
brakes.  I  am  sure  he  always  does  the  best  he  can,  for  no 
motorman  wants  to  run  over  a  child. 

The  following  notice  came  to  me  as  I  was  writing  this 
chapter.  A  lovely  little  seven-year-old  girl,  who  was 
going  on  an  errand  for  her  mother,  ran  in  front  of  a 
north-bound  car  and  came  directly  in  front  of  one  that 
was  going  south.  The  motorman  had  been  a  faithful 
worker  on  the  line  for  twenty-three  years,  and  when  he 
saw  how  helpless  he  was  he  fainted  and  had  to  be  carried 
•  •ft  the  i  ar  unconscious. 


PLAYING    IN  TIIK  STREETS 


17 


Does  it  not  seem  clear  that  very  little  children  should 
not  be  left  uncared  for  on  the  streets,  and   that  older 

children  should  learn  to  be  more  careful? 

Cases  such  as  the  two  following  are  happening  every 
day.  Arthur  B.  and  a  friend  were  amusing  themselves 
chasing  cars.    While  running  behind  a  west-bound  car, 


Too  Late  to  Stop 

Arthur  suddenly  turned  across  the  other  track  and  was 
hit  by  an  east-bound  car.  This  car  struck  him  on  the  side 
of  the  head  and  hurled  him  to  the  ground.  He  was  made 
unconscious  and  was  taken  to  a  hospital.  Fortunately,  the 
cars  were  moving  slowly  and  he  was  not  seriously  hurt. 

Ada  Walker,  a  fine  roller  skater,  was  out  with  some 
friends   enjoying   her  favorite    sport.     A    wagon    passed 


[8  EMERGENCIES 

by  and  she  caught  hold  of  it.  For  a  few  seconds  she 
coasted  happily  along,  and  then,  as  its  speed  increased, 
she  let  go  with  a  laugh  and  turned  directly  in  front  of  an 
automobile,  which  she  had  not  noticed.  She  was  knocked 
down  and  her  skull  was  fractured.  Every  means  pos- 
sible were  used  to  save  her  life,  but  she  never  regained 
consciousness. 

It  is  sport  to  "hang  on,"  but  when  we  know  the  num- 
ber of  children  killed  every  year  or  seriously  injured  for 
life,  it  seems  hardly  worth  the  risk.  What  do  you  think 
about  it  ? 

Getting  ox   and  off  Street  Cars 

Many  accidents  occur,  especially  to  women  and  girls, 
in  getting  on  and  off  street  ears.  Women  do  not  seem 
to  learn  as  readily  as  men  the  right  way  to  do  this. 
Some  day  stand  on  the  street  and  watch  a  group  of 
women  get  on  or  off  a  car,  and  count  the  number 
that  do  it  correctly.  It  will  help  you  to  remember  the 
right   way. 

Study  these  pictures,  and  don't  let  yourself  be  classed 
with  those  who  do  not  know  how. 

I  have  a  friend  who  has  a  beautiful  automobile,  but 
she  says  she  never  enjoys  it  because  of  the  fear  of  some- 
time running  over  some  one.  Think  of  how  terrible  it 
must  be  for  a  driver  to  know  that  a  child  has  been  killed 


The  Right  Way  to  get  <>n 

This  boy  placed  his  left  foot  on  the 
step  and   grasped  both   handles,  fac- 
ing toward  the  front 


The  Wrong  Way   ro  gei   on 

This  man  grasped  only  the  rear  handle 
and  faced  toward  the  rear 


The  Right  Way  to  get  off 

(From  a  School  Exercise) 

The  girls  in  this  picture  faced  toward 

the  front  and  held  the  handle  until  our 

foot  was  firmly  on  the  ground 


The  Wrong  Way  to  get  01  f 

If  the  car  had  started  this  woman  would 

have   been  thrown  on  her  back.    She 

took  hold  of  neither  handle  and  laced 

toward  the  i  eai 


19 


2D  EMERGENCIES 

or  hurt  by  bis  vehicle.  And  yet,  in  almost  every  case 
where  such  an  accident  happens,  the  fault  is  with  the  boy 
or  girl  who  acts  heedlessly. 

I  want  to  give  one  more  case.  An  automobile  ran  over 
a  boy  eight   years  old.     The  woman  in  the  automobile 

sprang  out  and  took  the  box's  head  in  her  lap  and  be- 
tween sobs  begged  the  child  to  open  his  eyes,  prom- 
ising to  give  him  a  pony  and  cart,  or  a  sailboat,  or  a 
steam  launch,  or  anything,  if  he  would  only  smile  again. 
Hut  he  died  in  her  arms.  The  boy  had  been  roller  skat- 
ing, holding  on  to  the  coat  tails  of  another  boy,  who  in 
turn  was  hanging  on  to  the  end  of  a  wagon.  He  let  go 
and,  just  as  Ada  did,  he  darted  in  front  of  the  automobile, 
which  was  coming  in  the  other  direction. 

Boys  sometimes  think  they  are  showing  bravery  by 
standing  in  front  of  trolley  cars  or  other  approaching 
vehicles.  I  do  not  think  the)-  would  do  this  if  they 
realized  that  it  was  not  bravery  at  all,  but  only  a  poor 
kind  of  "  showing  off." 


CHAPTER  V 


SPRAINS 


There  are  eight  little  bones  in  the  wrist  and  seven 
in  the  ankle.  These  little  bones  are  held  together  by 
firm  fibrous  bands,  called 
ligaments  (see  pictures). 
These  ligaments  are 
made  up  of  very  little 
fibers  and  are  attached 
to  the  bones. 

Now,  when  a  person 
turns  his  ankle  it  may 
mean  any  one  of  several 
things.  It  may  only  mean 
that  some  of  the  fibers 
of  a  ligament  have  had  a 
little  extra  strain  put  on 
them.  This  hurts  for  a 
few  minutes,  but  amounts 
to  nothing.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  ligament  has  been 
pulled  away  from  the  bone,  or  if  it  has  pulled  a  piece  of 
the  bone  off  with  it,  the  sprain  may  become  very  serious. 
It  is  often  more  serious  than  a  broken  arm  or  leg,  and 


Ligaments  of  Wrist 


I  MERGENCIES 

needs  immediate  attention.    Only  seldom  is  the  ligament 
itself  torn. 

When  a  ligament  is  given  too  much  of  a  strain  some 
blood  vessels  and  lymph  vessels  are  broken.  This  causes 
blood    and    lymph    to    gather   about    the   sprain,   and    as 


they  accumulate,  the  sprained  ankle  or  wrist  quickly 
swells.  This  swelling  is  injurious,  for  it  keeps  the  ends 
of  the  torn  ligaments  away  from  the  bone  to  which  they 
hum  reattach  themselves.  It  is  also  very  painful,  be- 
cause <>f  pressure  on  the  nerves.  Kvery  effort  must  be 
made  t<>  keep  the  swelling  down.  This  is  sometimes 
difficult   to  a«  t  omplish. 


SPRAINS  23 

There  arc  several  things  to  do  immediately.  Put  the 
sprained  ankle,  knee,  or  wrist  under  a  cold-water  faucet, 
and  let  the  water  run  on  it  until  bandages  are  prepared. 
The  first  effect  of  cold  water  is  to  make  the  little  capil- 
laries contract,  thus  keeping  the  arteries  from  sending 
so  much  blood  to  the  injured  parts.  The  lymph  is  also 
delayed   in   its  movement. 

Cold  water  can  be  changed  to  very  hot  water  which 
has  a  similar  effect.  (Warm  water  is  bad  because  it 
relaxes  and  dilates  the  parts.)  Little  by  little  the  capil- 
laries relax,  in  spite  of  the  applications,  and  the  blood 
Mows  to  the  sprain,  but  not  so  profusely  as  it  would  have 
done  at  first.  Now  the  main  thing  is  to  keep  the  circu- 
lation active,  to  make  sure  that  blood  and  lymph  are 
carried  away  as  promptly  as  they  come.  Oddly  enough 
it  is  these  same  applications,  alternate  hot  and  cold 
water,  that  aid  us  here,  for  now  they  stimulate  the  cir- 
culation, and  keep  all  channels  open.  It  is  well  to  hold 
the  injured  joint  as  high  as  convenient,  so  as  to  let  as 
much  blood  as  possible  flow  from  the  joint.  Before  put- 
ting on  the  bandage,  a  little  well-directed  pressure  by 
the  hands  upon  the  swelling  to  drive  the  extra  blood 
and   lymph   towards   the   heart   is  good   practice. 

Now  we  bandage  the  joint.  This  must  be  clone  so 
that  the  pressure  will  come  on  the  soft  parts,  as  they  are 
the  parts  that  fill  up  with  the  blood  and  lymph.  To  ac- 
complish this  we  place  little  wads  of  cotton  over  the  soft 


24  EMERGENCIES 

parts,  fitting  them  into  every  hollow  and  keeping  them  in 
place  by  light  bandaging.  After  the  cotton  is  all  placed, 
the  whole  joint  must  be  tightly  bandaged,  but  not  above 
the  injury.  The  bandaging  should  be  changed  every  day, 
and  the  joint  rubbed  a  little  each  time  to  assist  the  cir- 
culation. This  treatment  of  a  sprain  is  the  one  most 
likely  not  to  leave  a  stiff  joint. 

Horse  trainers,  when  they  have  a  horse  with  a  sprained 
ankle,  take  it  out  for  a  little  gentle  exercise  every  day. 
It  keeps  the  ankle  supple.  If  the  horse  is  allowed  to 
stand  in  the  stable  without  this  exercise,  the  ankle  be- 
comes stiff.  This  exercise  acts  as  rubbing  does  on  our 
joints. 

There  is  another  very  simple  way  to  treat  slight  ankle 
sprains,  which  has  been  very  successful.  Let  the  water 
flow  on  the  ankle  for  awhile,  then  put  on  a  pair  of  laced 
shoes,  lacing  as  tightly  as  possible  the  one  having  the 
sprain.  Now  go  for  a  walk.  The  tight  lacing  keeps  down 
the  swelling  and  the  exercise  keeps  the  circulation  active, 
and  in  this  way  the  blood  quickly  carries  away  the  accu- 
mulated lymph  and  blood.  By  either  massage  or  exercise 
a  sprain  will  recover  much  more  quickly  and  with  better 
results  than  when  it  is  done  up  in  a  plaster  cast. 


CHAPTER   VI 
PUNCTURED  WOUNDS 

Wounds  arc  of  various  kinds,  and  can  be  divided  into 
three  groups,  each  group  calling  for  a  somewhat  differ- 
ent treatment : 

First,  punctured  wounds,  such  as  those  caused  by 
rusty  nails,  scissors,  and  blunt-pointed  instruments. 

Second,  cuts,  caused  by  sharp  instruments  such  as 
knives,  hatchets,  pieces  of  glass,  etc. 

Third,  bruises,  caused  by  blows  with  rough  objects  or 
by  falls,  and  the  like. 

In  this  chapter  we  shall  give  attention  to  the  first 
group. 

Punctured  wounds  are  liable  to  be  more  dangerous 
than  other  wounds  because  they  are  often  deep  and  do 
not  bleed  and  are  not  so  easily  cleansed.  The)'  seldom 
appear  to  be  as  serious  as  they  really  are,  because  they 
are  likely  to  leave  a  very  small  opening.  These  wounds 
may  be  caused  by  nails,  often  rusty  and  dirty,  as  well  as 
by  pins,  needles,  fishhooks,  thorns,  splinters,  glass,  and 
the  like.  Often  a  part  of  the  object  is  broken  off  if  it 
comes  in  contact  with  a  bone  and  so  is  buried  deep  in 
the  flesh.    This  must  be  taken  out. 

25 


EMERGENCIES 


Rusty   Nails 


There  is  great  danger  of  lockjaw  from  rusty-nail 
wounds.  The  little  microbe  called  the  tetanus  germ 
causes  lockjaw.  In  such  a  wound  as  this  it  finds  a  good 
place  for  itself.  The  tetanus  germ  is  found  just  beneath 
the  surface  of  the  soil  and  in  dust,  and  so  it  may  very 
well  be  on  the  rusty  nail  itself  when  it  enters  the  foot. 
(See  picture  of  the  tetanus  germ  on  page  149.)  Perhaps 
the  foot  may  not  be  clean,  and  the  microbe  may  be 
pushed  in  with  a  bit  of  dirty  skin,  or  if  the  wound  is 
not  kept  (.lean  it  may  get  in  at  any  time.  The  first 
thing  to  do  with  such  a  wound  is  to  cleanse  it  with  water, 
then  with  an  antiseptic  wash,  after  which  it  should  be 
gently  squeezed  SO  as  to  make  the  blood  How  from  it, 
and  the  germs  will  be  very  likely  to  come  away  with  the 
blood.  Now  take  a  piece  ol  absorbent  cotton  or  a  piece 
of  clean  cloth,  soak  it  in  the  antiseptic  water  and  put  it 
over  the  wound,  then  strap  it  on  with  surgeon's  plaster 
or  court-plaster,  or  else  bandage  it  on  with  a  handker- 
chief or  any  piece  of  (loth.  If  possible,  it  is  better  to  get 
a  little  syringe,  such  as  a  clean  ink-filler  syringe,  and 
Squirt  some  of  the  antiseptic  water  deep  into  the  wound. 

I  treated  an  injured  foot  recently  by  washing  it  in  a 
quart  of  water  in  which  a  bichloride  tablet  had  been  dis- 
solved. Then  I  squeezed  the  wound  to  make  the  blood 
flow,  put  on  it  a  piece  of  cotton  soaked  in  the  bichloride 


PUNCTURED  WOUNDS  27 

water,  and  strapped  it  with  surgeon's  plaster.  Although 
it  throbbed  and  was  sore  for  several  days,  it  healed 
quickly.  Such  a  wound  should  be  watched.  If  it  be- 
comes inflamed,  it  shows  that  it  has  not  been  suffi- 
ciently cleansed,  and  it  should  be  opened  and  cleaned 
again.  Even  with  all  these  precautions  one  cannot  be 
certain  that  it  is  clean. 

One  precaution  against  nail  wounds  is  never  to  leave 
a  nail  in  a  board  where  a  person  is  likely  to  step  on  it. 
My  father  taught  me  to  be  careful  in  this  way,  and  his 
advice  stays  with  me.  I  never  see  a  nail  sticking  up  in  a 
board  without  wanting  to  put  it  where  it  can  do  no  harm. 

Fishhooks 

One  of  my  earliest  memories  is  of  seeing  a  little  boy 
running  to  the  doctor's  office  with  a  fishhook  in  his 
finger.  I  had  caught  fish  many  times  with  my  brother, 
and  knew  how  hard  it  was  to  get  the  fish  off  the  hooks, 
and  I  wondered  how  the  doctor  could  possibly  get  this 
hook  out  of  the  little  boy's  finger.  He  did  n't  try  to 
pull  it  out  or  to  cut  it  out.  He  simply  pushed  the  barb 
through  the  skin  and  cut  the  shank  off  with  a  wire 
cutter.  Then  he  pushed  it  out  easily.  It  was  not  in  very 
deep.  A  fishhook  cannot  go  in  very  deep.  Of  course  it 
was  painful,  but  it  was  not  so  bad  as  I  had  thought 
it  would  be.  He  then  treated  it  as  one  would  a  rusty- 
nail  wound. 


I  MERG1  \<  IKS 

I  have  a  friend  who  always  takes  a  pair  of  wire  cutters 
with  him  for  just  this  purpose  when  he  is  camping  in  the 
summer  time.  I  le  has  never  had  occasion  to  use  them, 
but  he  might  have  at  any  time.  A  person  cannot  be  too 
careful  of  the  way  lie  handles  fishing  tackle.  Fishhooks 
should  be  pushed  into  corks,  or  concealed  in  some  way 
when  not  in  use. 

Needi  i  - 

Such  accidents  as  the  following  are  happening  every 
day:  "  Little  three-year-old  Edith  was  walking  about  the 
house  with  her  shoes  off  when  she  stepped  on  a  needle. 
It  entered  her  left  foot  and  broke  in  two.  The  doctor 
\\a>  called  and  removed  the  pieces." 

Whenever  an  accident  of  this  kind  happens  and  you 
are  able  to  pull  the  needle  out  yourself,  examine  it  care- 
full)  to  see  if  it  is  all  there.  If  not,  a  doctor  should  be 
called  to  remove  the  broken-off  pieces.  The}-  will  surely 
cause  trouble  if  not  removed. 

My  washerwoman  came  to  me  one  day  with  a  needle 
half  way  imbedded  in  her  hand.  It  was  difficult  to  pull 
it  out,  it  was  in  so  deep.  I  had  to  use  a  pair  of  tweezers 
in  order  to  get  a  firm  hold  of  it.  Of  course  I  examined 
it  to  See  if  it  was  all  there.  She  felt  scarcely  any  pain 
afterwards,  but  it  might  have  made  serious  trouble.  One 
should  be  i  areful  not  to  leave  needles  and  pins  in  clothes 
that  are  to  be  washed. 


PUNCTURED  WOUNDS  29 

Splinters 

Splinters  arc  dangerous  because  little  pieces  of  the 
wood  arc  so  easily  broken  off,  and  it  is  difficult  to  be 
certain  that  all  of  the  splinter  is  removed  from  the  wound. 

One  of  my  little  girls,  on  the  first  day  at  the  seashore 
one  summer,  ran  along  a  pine  plank  and  stubbed  her 
foot  on  it  in  such  a  way  that  a  large  splinter  was  imbed- 
ded in  the  sole  of  the  foot.  There  was  only  a  tiny  open- 
ing in  sight,  and  I  removed  what  I  thought  was  the 
entire  piece  of  wood,  but  the  foot  became  more  sore 
every  day,  though  we  could  not  see  that  there  was  any- 
thing there.  Finally  we  took  her  to  a  physician  ;  he  was 
obliged  to  give  her  ether  to  get  the  splinter  out.  It  was 
deeply  imbedded  and  fully  an  inch  long,  and  would  doubt- 
less have  caused  blood  poisoning  if  it  had  been  left  alone 
much  longer. 

Small  slivers  are  apt  to  cause  pus  to  form  in  a  few 
days  and  can  easily  be  removed  with  a  clean  needle  or  a 
pair  of  tweezers. 


CHAPTER   VII 

CUTS   AND    BRUISES 

In  the  preceding  chapter  we  have  learned  about 
punctured  wounds  and  their  treatment,  but,  as  we  have 
seen,  two  classes  still  remain  to  be  studied. 

Cui  - 

Many  accidents  like  the  following  are  happening  to 
children  all  over  the  country,  and  every  boy  and  girl 
ought    to   know   what   to   do   until    the   doctor  comes. 

Edward  Kendel  fell  on  a  broken  bottle  and  cut  His 
wrist  so  badly  that  he  nearly  bled  to  death  before  he 
could  be  taken  to  the  hospital." 

The  first  thing  to  have  done  in  this  case  would  have 
:  to  raise  the  arm,  because  less  blood  flows  into  the 
arm  when  it  is  up  than  when  it  is  down.  Second,  one 
should  have  placed  the  thumb  or  fingers  firmly  against 
the  place  where  the  blood  was  flowing  and  held  it  until 
the  doctor  came.  If  the  artery  in  the  wrist  was  cut,  it 
could  be  held  for  a  long  time  in  this  way.  (  )ne  .should  not 
take  the  pressure  oil  to  see  if  the  bleeding  has  stopped. 

rourniquets  used  to  be  commonly  recommended  for 
I  uN  like  this  one.  but  they  are  used  less  and  less,  except 

3° 


CUTS  AND    BRUISES  31 

where  a  large  artery  has  been  cut;  then  they  arc  neces- 
sary. They  arc  very  painful  and  often  have  so  injured 
the  soft  parts  of  the  arm  that  they  have  done  more  harm 
than  good. 

Another  how  Ray,  was  brought  home  suffering  from 
a  knife  wound  in  his  arm.  While  cutting  a  branch  he 
fell  from  a  tree  onto  his  knife.    In  this  case  the  doctor 


Cut  held  together  with  Surgeon's  Plaster 

cleansed  the  wound  and  put  a  piece  of  surgeon's  plaster 
on  each  side  of  the  cut  and  sewed  the  plaster  together 
(see  picture).  This  was  less  painful  than  having  the 
stitches  taken  in  the  flesh.  Any  one  can  do  this.  Then 
the  doctor  bandaged  the  wound.  He  told  Ray  to  keep 
it  still.  Do  you  see  why?  You  cannot  make  two  sides 
of  a  cut  heal  by  "first  intention,"  see  page  38,  if  you 
are  going  to  move  around  so  as  to  pull  them  away  from 
each   other   every   time   they   begin    to    unite.    Quiet   is 


EMERGENCIES 

necessary.  If  you  arc  trying  to  glue  a  leg  in  a  chair, 
you  put  the  glue  in,  tic  the  leg  firmly,  and  put  the  chair 
away  until  it  is  dry.  The  same  principle  applies  in  the 
case  of  a  cut.  You  want  the  parts  kept  together  until 
they  arc  one  again. 

It  may  be  that  a  linger  is  almost  cut  off,  or  a  toe,  or 
a  nose,  or  car;  hut  so  long  as  there  is  any  connecting 
tissue  left  there  is  hope  of  saving  the  severed  member. 
It  should  be  washed  in  warm  water  and  carefully  put 
back  in  place  until  the  doctor  conies.  Many  remarkable 
i  ases  prove  that  these  parts  may  grow  together  again. 

I  know  a  little  girl  whose  thumb  was  almost  cut  off. 
It  was  cut  through  the  bone,  but  was  quickly  replaced 
and  bandaged  on.    Now  you  can  only  see  a  slight  scar. 

The  seriousness  of  a  cut  does  not  depend  so  much  on 
its  size  a>  on  its  position. 

<  >pen   Knives  and  Scissors 

From  the  time  babies  begin  to  walk,  fathers  and 
mothers  try  to  teach  them  the  dangers  of  going  about 
with  open  knives  or  scissors  in  their  hands,  or  with  sticks 
and  other  pointed  things  in  their  mouths.  Yet  children 
do  forget  They  say  "it  is  too  much  trouble  to  shut  the 
knife."    My  boy  .said  that  to  me  only  a  few  days  ago. 

<  Ordinarily  we  do  not  hear  of  accidents  from  these 
causes,  for  they  an-  not  often  serious.  But  they  might 
easily  be    There  is  hardly  a  child  that  has  not  had  a  sore 


CUTS  AND   BRUISES  ?>3 

place  in  the  roof  of  the  mouth  at  some  time  or  other  due 
to  just  such  an  act  of  heedlessness. 

Indeed,  many  accidents  of  this  kind  do  happen  right 
along.  I  will  give  you  several  accounts  of  these  that  have 
come  to  me  in  my  newspaper  clippings.  Here  is  one 
about  Earle  Ash,  a  boy  twelve  years  old. 

Earle  was  playing  with  some  friends  and  started  to  run 
with  an  open  knife  in  his  hand.  He  tripped  and  put  out 
his  hand  to  break  the  force  of  the  fall,  with  the  result 
that  he  fell  on  the  knife  blade,  which  entered  his  abdo- 
men. He  was  carried  home,  the  doctor  was  called,  and 
the  wound  was  found  to  be  so  bad  that  the  boy  was 
taken  to  a  hospital.  It  was  stated  in  the  paper  that 
there  was  some  hope  of  Earle's  recover}'. 

Some  of  these  accidents  are  truly  dreadful.  One  little 
boy  four  years  old  fell  on  a  stick  he  had  in  his  mouth, 
and  it  was  driven  through  the  back  of  his  throat.  He 
became  paralyzed  and  died.  This  is  a  case  showing  how 
older  brothers  and  sisters  need  to  have  watchful  eyes. 

"  A  three-year-old  boy,  Roy  Wolf,  was  playing  with  a 
sharp  stick  in  one  hand  Monday  afternoon,  when  he  fell 
down  and  struck  on  the  stick  so  that  it  entered  one  nos- 
tril and  ran  through  and  out  of  the  side  of  the  nose,  just 
missing  one  of  his  eyes." 

Here  are  two  accounts  of  children  falling  on  scissors. 

"While  William  Snow,  aged  four  years,  was  playing 
with   a   pair   of    scissors,    he    fell    and    the}-    entered    his 


34 


EMERGENCIES 


A     I'll  •    I      "I       Fl    \NM   I 

and   \  Bowl  <>i    1 1"  i 

W  \ 1  IK 


forehead,  cutting   a  gash   four  inches  long.    The  child 
was  taken  to  tin-  hospital  for  treatment." 

"  While  Ruby  Strong,  ten  years  old, 
was  playing  with  a  pair  of  scissors,  she 

cut  an  artery  in  her  fight  arm  and 
nearly  hied  to  death  before  the  serious- 
ness of  the  accident  was  realized." 

Children  love  to  cut  with  both  scis- 
sors  and  knives.  There  are  two  pre- 
cautions to  which  children  and  grown 
people  .should  pay  attention:  first, 
never  go  about  with  an  open  knife; 
second,    never    give   a   small    child 

pointed   scissors.     In  kindergartens  they  always  use  the 

blunt    scissors,  and   careful  mothers  see  to   it   that   their 

children   have  only  this         /  j 

kind. 

Bruises 

When  the  skin  is 
broken  the  bruise  should 
be  cleaned  carefully  with 
an  antiseptic  solution 
being  careful  that  every 
particle  of  dirt  is  taken 
<>tt.  and  then  a  piece  of  cotton  or  cloth  wet  in  the  so- 
lution should  be  laid  over  it  and  bandaged. 


Wringing  the  Flannel  inside 
of  a  Towel 


CUTS  AND    BRUISES  35 

When  the  skin  is  not  broken  it  is  well  to  apply  cloths 
Sprung  out  in  hot  water.  This  tends  to  keep  the  blood 
in  circulation. 

Notice  in  the  picture  the  method  of  wringing  cloths 
from  hot  water.  Flannel  holds  heat  better  than  cotton. 
Take  a  piece  of  flannel  and  dip  it  into  the  boiling  water; 
then  place  it  in  the  towel,  and  twist  the  ends  of  the  towel 
in  opposite  directions.  In  this  way  you  can  get  the  cloth 
quite  free  from  water  without  burning  the  hands. 


CHAPTER    VIII 
How   WOUNDS    HEAL 

In  the  care  of  all  wounds  the  first  essential  is  to  get 
them  clean.  No  matter  how  clean  a  foot  or  a  hand  might 
seem  to  a  boy,  the  doctor  would  probably  call  it  very 
unclean.  Even  a  thorough  washing  with  soap  and  water 
will  not  cleanse  the  hands  sufficiently  to  satisfy  him.  I 
have  seen  a  doctor  scrub  his  hands  with  a  brush  and  soap 
and  hot  water  for  at  least  ten  minutes,  and  even  then  he 
did  not  consider  them  clean  enough  to  touch  a  wound. 

As  you  learned  in  Good  Health,  there  are  microbes  in 
the  soil,  in  the  air,  and  in  the  water,  although  we  cannot 
see  them.  If  we  wish  wounds  to  heal  quickly,  we  must  be 
certain  that  no  poisonous  microbes  find  a  home  in  them. 
Microbes  are  sure  to  enter  whenever  a  wound  is  made, 
but  we  can  destroy  them  before  they  do  any  harm.  They 
(  an  be  killed  by  various  chemicals  called  antiseptics,  and 
that  is  why  the  doctor,  after  his  soap-and-water  scrub- 
bing, washes  his  hands  in  a  microbe-killing  solution  be- 
fore he  touches  a  wound,  which  is  also  carefully  cleansed 
with  one  of  these  solutions. 

Many  wounds  heal,  as  you  know,  without  an  antiseptic 
cleaning;  but  after  years  of  practice,  all  doctors  are  now 

36 


HOW  WOUNDS   HEAL  37 

more  and  more  careful  to  clean  wounds  before  bandag- 
ing them.  The  least  particle  of  dirt  is  certain  to  give 
trouble,  and  the  smallest  opening  is  large  enough  for 
microbes  to  get  in. 

Bichloride  of  mercury  is  one  of  the  best  antiseptics 
known.  It  comes  in  tablets  which  can  be  bought  at  any 
drug  store,  and  a  five-grain  tablet  dissolved  in  a  quart  of 
warm  water  makes  one  of  the  best  germ  killers.  Carbolic 
acid  is  also  a  good  antiseptic,  and  a  useful  solution  is 
made  by  adding  a  teaspoonful  of  the  acid  to  a  pint  of  hot 
water.  Both  of  these  drugs  are  very  poisonous  and  must 
not  be  left  around  where  little  children  can  get  at  them. 

Boracic  acid,  another  good  antiseptic,  is  prepared  by 
dissolving  a  teaspoonful  of  boracic-acid  powder  in  a  pint 
of  hot  water.  It  is  difficult  to  dissolve  it  in  cold  water. 

A  wound  thoroughly  washed  in  clean  water  that  has 
been  boiled  and  then  in  one  of  these  antiseptic  solutions 
is  ready  to  be  bandaged. 

You  have  doubtless  noticed  how  differently  slight 
scratches  will  heal  at  different  times.  Sometimes  a  dark 
brown  scab  will  quickly  form,  and  in  a  few  days  it  will 
dry  up  and  either  fall  off  of  itself  or  be  picked  off.  At 
other  times  inflammation  sets  in,  pus  forms;  and  the 
scratch  remains  sore  for  a  long  while.  The  second  scratch 
may  not  have  been  any  more  severe  than  the  first;  the 
trouble  is  that  harmful  microbes  have  entered  the  wound. 
It  is  wise  to  take  care  of  even  the  slightest  scratch. 

215159 


58  EMERGENCIES 

A  wound  that  heals  in  the  first  way,  without  becoming 
inflamed,  is  said  to  be  healed  by  "  first  intention."  When 
it  becomes  inflamed  and  pus  forms  before  it  heals,  we 
speak  of  it  as  healing  by  "second  intention."  The  aim 
should  always  be  to  get  wounds  to  heal  by  first  inten- 
tion. First  intention  wounds  heal  much  more  quickly, 
give  less  pain,  and  leave  much  smaller  scars  than  second 
intention  wounds. 

It  is  easy  and  simple  to  keep  on  hand  a  bottle  of 
boracic-acid  solution,  and  whenever  one  gets  a  cut  or 
wound  of  any  kind,  to  wash  it  carefully  with  some  of  this 
fluid.  It  is  a  good  eye  wash  if  the  eyelids  become  slightly 
inflamed.  It  can  do  no  harm,  and  it  mav  do  good.  Ocu- 
lists  prescribe  it  for  inflamed  eyelids. 

I  know  a  man  who  once  had  a  small  pimple  on  the  back 
of  his  neck,  and  he  kept  picking  at  it  until  it  became  in- 
fected ;  then  a  terrible  carbuncle  developed.  He  had  to  go 
to  a  hospital,  and  the  doctors  said  that  without  the  best  of 
care,  he  would  have  died  from  blood  poisoning.  If  these 
dangerous  microbes  had  not  been  allowed  to  secure  a 
foothold,  if  he  had  had  the  little  pimple  properly  taken 
i  are  oi  ai  first,  he  might  have  been  saved  all  that  suffering. 

It  often  takes  more  wisdom  and  courage  to  be  careful 
of  wounds  than  to  let  them  go  untended.  Sometimes 
people  —  boys  especially  —  are  ashamed  to  have  little 
wounds  dressed.  They  think  it  looks  babyish.  Hut  com- 
mon sense  tells  us  that  it  is  not  so. 


CHAPTER   IX 
BANDAGES 

There  arc  two  distinct  kinds  of  bandages,  —  the  "roller  " 
bandage  and  the  "triangular"  bandage.  To  learn  to  use 
the  roller  bandage  well  takes  a  great  deal 
of  time,  and,  even  then,  constant  practice 
is  necessary.  The  triangular  bandage  is 
being  used  more  and  more  even  in  hospi- 
tals, and  for  emergency  cases  is  altogether 
sufficient.  It  is  much  better  than  a  poorly 
adjusted  roller  bandage.  A  roller  bandage 
perfectly  made  is  very  pretty  (see  picture). 

The  triangular  bandage  is  made  by  cut- 
ting diagonally  a  square  of  white  cloth. 
One  square  makes  two  bandages.  The 
size  of  the  triangle  depends  on  where 
you  want  to  use  it,  and  varies  usually 
from  eighteen  to  forty  inches  on  the  base 
line.    This  bandage  is  especially  good  for 

emergencies,  for  it  can  be  made  from  a 

,         ,,         ,  .    r    ,.,     .  ,      Roller  Bandage 

handkerchief  (it  is  not   necessary  to   cut 

the  handkerchief),  or  from   a   piece  of  skirt,  or  from  a 

shirt.    It  is  a  good  plan  to  keep  on  hand  for  emergencies 

39 


ao 


EMERGKNCIKS 


several  yards  of  white  cheese  cloth.  This  costs  only  four 
cents  a  yard,  is  soft,  and  can  be  mack-  antiseptic  by  bak- 
ing it  in  the  oven  or  by  boiling  it.    One  can  easily  learn 

POINT 


BASE 

Triangular  Ban dag i 

to  use  it,  and  it  can  be  folded  so  as  to  be  wide  or  narrow 
according  to  the  place  where  it  is  needed. 

Every  one  should   know  how  to   make  what  is  called 
a  "square"   knot.    There   are  three    reasons   why  this  is 


Square  Knoi 


( 1  k  \  \  \  \    Knoi 


better  than  a  "granny"  knot:  it  does  not  slip;  it  makes 
a  (latter  knot  and  so  is  more  comfortable;  it  is  neater. 
Study  the  pictures.    By  taking  a  little  care  every  time 


KAN  HACKS 


4' 


you  make  a  knot  you  will  soon  have  the  "square"  knot 
habit  and  will  never  make  another  "granny"  knot. 

There  are  some  people  who  judge 
your  character  by  the  knot  you  make. 
Notice  how  careful  clerks  are  about 
this.  A  careful  employer  does  not 
want  a  clerk  who  makes  a  knot  that 
will  slip.  The  following  are  some 
of  the  ways  of  using  the  triangular 
bandage. 

Tin-;   Si. i Mi 

The  triangular  bandage  can  be 
used  for  a  sling  to  hold  a  broken  arm  v  Knot 

fj  or  a  hand  that  has  been  badly  hurt  and  which 
must  be  kept  still.  The  pictures  show  how  this 
is  done. 


The   Scalp   Bandage 

Place  the  base  of  the  triangle  across  the  fore- 
head, bring  the  ends  of  the  base  around  to  the 
front,  and  tie  with  a  square  knot.  The  point 
is  then  drawn  to  fit  the  scalp  comfortably,  and 
pinned  with  a  safety  pin.  Girls  can  use  such 
bandages  for  bathing  caps.  You  can  see  how 
they   are    made    by    examining    the    pictures    on 


Square 


Knot      the  next  page. 


42 


EMERGENCIES 


< 

J       ^1 

rl 

M> 

^^^^__^_tei^B 

in- 

Sum; 


Hand  Bandage  and  Sum; 


Scalp  Bandagi    (Side  Vievs  i 


Scalp  Bandage 


[JANDAdKS 


43 


Hand  Bandagj 


The   Hand   Bandage 

This  bandage  is  to  be  used  in  case  of  injury  to  the 
palm  of  the  hand.  Fold  the 
bandage  the  desired  width; 
then  lay  the  middle  of  the 
bandage  over  the  palm,  bring 
the  ends  around  back  of  the 
hand,  cross  them  over,  and  bring  them  up  and  around 
the  wrist,  as  shown  in  the  figure. 

The   Foot   Bandage 

The  base  of  the  triangle  is  placed  back  of  the  heel ; 
the  point  is  pulled  out  in  front  of  the  toes  and  then 
brought  over  above  the  ankle.  The 
ends  are  then  crossed  over  the 
ankle,  and  taken  back  behind 
the  heel,  crossed  again,  and  finally 
brought  forward  and  tied  above  the 
instep  (see  figure). 


The   Bandage   for  the   Ear 


Foot  Bandage 


Fold  the  bandage  twice.  The 
middle  of  the  bandage  is  placed 
on  the  uninjured  ear;  then  the  head  is  bound  just  as 
you  would  tie  up  a  package.  The  picture  on  the  next 
page  shows  how  this  bandage  is  made. 


44 


1  MERGEN<  IES 


The   Bandage   for  the    Eye 


Place  the  middle  of  the  bandage  over  the  injured  eye; 
then  take  the  ends  behind  the  head,  cross  them,  bring 
them  forward  again,  and  tie  oxer  the  eve. 


Bandage   i  <  >k   a    Finger  or  Toe 

Make   a    small    triangle,  the    base    of  which    measures 
seven  inches.    Fold  twice.    Place  the  middle  of  the  band- 


Ear  Bandage 


Eye  Bandage 


age  over  the  cut,  bring  the  ends  around  back  and  cross, 
then  bring  them  over  the  cut  again  and  tie  with  the 
square  knot.  Soft  linen  or  cheese  cloth  are  best  for 
these  little  bandages.  They  stretch  and  yet  fit  snugly 
on    the    finger. 

It  i-  .1  good  plan  to  learn  how  to  use  surgeon's 
plaster.  You  can  buy  it  in  ten-cent  rolls  at  any  drug 
stoic.  \\  hen  yon  have  a  sore  on  the  knee  or  leg  or  any 
place  where  the  bandage  i^  likely  to  slide  down,  you  can 


HANIUOKS 


45 


place  a  little  piece  of  cloth  over  the  sore  and  strap  it  on 
with  this  plaster  (see  picture);  or  if  you  put  a  roller 
bandage  on  a  sore  finger,  you  can  hold  it  in  place  with 
surgeon's  plaster  much  better  than  with  a  string. 

It  is  well  to  practice  putting 
on  these  bandages.  Baby 
brothers  or  sisters  might  not 
object  if  you  should  experi- 
ment on  them.  Even  your 
mother  might  not  mind  it. 
If  you  have  no  brothers  or 
sisters,  you  might  bandage 
the  cat's  legs. 


How  to  use  Surgeon's  Plaster 


To  the  Teacher.  Almost  the 
only  way  to  tix  this  subject-matter  in 
the  minds  of  the  children  is  to  have 

them  apply  the  bandages  in  the  class  room.  Some  cheese  cloth  cut 
in  the  right  lengths  is  all  that  is  necessary  for  bandaging,  and  for  prac- 
ticing the  "square"  knot,  which  should  be  practiced  until  the  making 
of  it  becomes  automatic.  The  "  square  "  knot  habit  is  thoroughly  worth 
while.  It  points  toward  efficiency.  The  children  can  practice  the  turns 
at  any  time  with  their  handkerchiefs. 


CHAPTER   X 

WHAT  THE  CITY    DOES    FOR    PEOPLE   IN  CASE  OF 
ACCIDENT 

When  accidents  occur,  children  living  in  the  city  arc 

more  fortunate  than  those  living  in  the  country,  for  the 
city  lias  hospitals  (see  picture)  with  good  doctors  and 
nurses  to  take  care  of  the  unfortunate  ones  who  are 
injured. 

If  a  child  is  accidentally  run  over  in  the  street,  some 
one  should  go  immediately  to  the  nearest  telephone  and 
call  up  the  police.  (Xo  charge  is  made  for  the  use  of  the 
telephone  in  calling  the  police  in  cases  of  accident  or  in 
cases  ol  fire.)  'Idle  police  inform  the  nearest  hospital,  and 
the  hospital  has  an  ambulance  ready  which  it  sends 
immediately   to  the  child. 

In  the  hospital  everything  is  prepared  to  receive  the 
wounded  child  as  soon  as  the  ambulance  returns.  The 
doctors,  the  nurses,  the  bandages,  hot  and  cold  water, 
and  antiseptics  to  destroy  harmful  microbes,  —  all  are 
ready  when  the  ambulance  arrives. 

According  to  a  report  made  by  the  New  York  State 

(  harities  Aid  Association,  New  York  had,  in  190.S,  one 

hundred  and  sixty  public  and  private  hospitals.    During 

46 


WHAT  THE  CITY  DOES   IN  CASE  OF  ACCIDENT      47 

the  year,  two  hundred  thousand  people  were  eared  for  in 
these  hospitals.  It  cost  New  York  six  and  a  half  million 
dollars  to  provide  this  service  for  its  people. 

The  public  hospitals  and  ambulances  are  for  the  use  of 
the  rich  and  poor  alike,  although,  if  able,  one  is  expected 


Fordham  Hospital,  New  York  City 

to  pay  for  hospital  services,  as  the  city  cannot  afford  to 
take  care  of  those  able  to  take  care  of  themselves. 

I  have  been  to  some  of  the  hospitals  and  have  seen 
some  of  the  emergency  cases  as  they  came  in.  One  day 
I  saw  a  boy  come  with  the  end  of  his  finger  smashed. 
It  had  caught  in  some  machinery  in  a  factory.  The 
bone  stuck  out  at  the  end.    The  doctors  injected  some 


EMERGENCIES 


substance  into  the  finger  to  relieve  the  pain.  Then  they 
cleaned  it  thoroughly,  sawed  ofl  the  end  of  the  bone, 
and  brought  the  flesh  up  over  the  end  of  the  finger  and 
secured  it  there  with  several  stitches.  If  the  boy  had  not 
had  this  treatment,  in  all  probability  he  would  have  lost 


Children's  Ward,  Fordham  Hospital 

his  whole  finger,  and  possibly  his  hand.  It  would  have 
Impossible  to  give  this  treatment  at  home.  If  the 
bone  had  not  been  cut  off,  the  flesh  that  remained  would 
not  have  healed  over  the  bone.  Too  much  of  the  flesh 
had  be. mi  torn  away,  and  the  result  would  have  been 
that  the  wound  would  not  haw  healed  until  the  bone 
had  (  ome  off  by  itself,  possibly  at  the  joint;  and  by  that 


WHAT  THE  CITY   DOES   IN  CASK  OF  ACCIDENT     49 

time  microbes  would  have  gotten  into  the  wound,  so 
that   it   would  have  taken  it  a  long  time  to  heal. 

A  wound  cared  for  in  this  way  heals  quickly,  —  within 
eleven  days,  —  while  such  a  wound,  if  neglected,  takes 
weeks  or  even  months  before  it  can  possibly  heal.  So 
this  boy,  by  having  his  finger  attended  to  immediately, 
saved  himself  long-continued  pain  and  weeks  of  time. 

The  same  day  that  this  boy  came  into  the  hospital  a 
man  came  in  with  a  deep,  punctured  wound  in  the  palm 
of  his  hand.  He  had  delayed  nearly  a  week  after  the 
accident  before  going  to  the  hospital.  The  doctor  in 
examining  the  wound  found  a  piece  of  glass  and  some- 
thing that  looked  like  coal.  The  man  suffered  much 
more  than  the  boy  did,  and  much  more  than  he  would 
have  suffered  had  he  gone  to  the  hospital  as  soon  as  the 
accident  happened.  His  whole  hand  was  swollen,  and  I 
wondered  if  the  doctor  would  be  able  to  save  it  at  all. 
The  doctor  cleaned  the  wound  as  well  as  he  could,  but 
the  microbes  had  already  begun  their  harmful  work.  A 
wound  cared  for  immediately  is  bad  enough,  but  it  is 
many  times  worse  when  it  has  been  left  until  inflamma- 
tion sets  in. 

It  is  impossible  to  get  the  exact  figures  in  regard  to 
the  causes  of  accident.  When  an  ambulance  physician 
reports  his  case  at  the  hospital,  he  writes  down  what  the 
accident  was,  not  the  cause.  For  instance,  a  man  breaks 
his  leg.    I  le  may  have  been  drunk,  or  only  slightly  under 


-0  EMERGENCIES 

the  influence  of  liquor.  The  doctor  writes  down  the  case 
as  a  broken  leg.  The  police,  too,  report  the  case  at  head- 
quarters as  a  broken  leg.  No  mention  is  made  that  the 
man  was  drunk,  and  that  lie  fell  on  the  ice  and  broke 
his  111;  because  he  had  taken  something  that  made  his 
mind   refuse  to  guide   his  legs  correctly. 

Not  being  able  to  get  exact  figures,  I  have  asked  a 
number  of  doctors  who  have  served  on  ambulances  how 
main  cases  they  thought  were  due  to  the  use  of  alcoholic 
liquors.  ( >ne  doctor  who  has  served  for  years  at  the  head 
of  an  emergency  hospital  in  Boston  said  that  at  least 
one  half  of  the  cases  were  due  to  drink.  Another  doctor 
said  that  he  thought  fully  ninety  cases  out  of  a  hundred 
were  directly  or  indirectly  caused  by  drink.  A  nurse 
made   the   same   statement. 

In  order  to  understand  the  difference  between  a  direct 
and  indirect  cause,  consider  the  case  of  the  broken  leg. 
The  direct  cause  of  the  accident  was  that  the  man 
slipped  on  the  ice;  the  indirect  cau.se  was  that  he  had 
taken  several  glasses  of  whisky  and  was  not  able  to  walk 
straight,  so  that  he  slipped  on  the  ice  and  broke  his  leg. 
This  shows  that  main-  cases  which  are  really  due  to 
drink  are  not  so  reported,  and  we  cannot  get  the  facts 
on  the  effet  t  of  alcohol  on  accidents. 

The  mei  hanism  of  our  bodies  is  much  more  complex 
and  wonderful  than  that  of  any  machinery  made.  Look 
into  a  watch  and   see  how    perfectly  and   wonderfully  the 


WHAT  THE  CITY   DOES   IN   CASE  OF  ACCIDENT      51 

wheels  go  round.  But  the  least  disturbance  of  that 
machinery  will  make  the  watch  useless.  Alcohol  dis- 
turbs the  machinery  of  the  body.  A  little  alcohol  does 
not  disturb  the  machinery  of  the  body  enough  to  make 
it  useless,  but  it  may  disturb  the  delicate  adjustment  of 
the  mind  to  the  body  enough  so  as  to  cause  one  to 
hesitate  in  crossing  a  street,  and  this  may  result  in  his 
being  run  over.  Or  if  a  man  is  working  with  machinery, 
alcohol  may  be  the  cause  of  a  slip  at  a  critical  moment, 
resulting  in  the  loss  of  a  hand  or  a  foot. 

This  is  why  people  who  have  work  to  do  that  requires 
delicate  adjustment  should  not  drink.  It  is  the  reason 
why  men  who  drink  are  not  given  responsible  positions. 
All  over  the  world  people  are  recognizing  the  bad  effect 
that  alcohol  has  on  the  body.  There  is  a  great  move- 
ment going  on  against  it.  Therefore  people  who  want 
to  live  long  and  want  always  to  have  control  over  their 
minds  and  bodies  should  not  drink.  They  should  refuse 
to  take  that  which  is  likely  to  put  the  machinery  of  their 
bodies  out  of  order. 


CHAPTER   XI 
BURNS 

As  two  sisters  went  to  bed  one  night  one  of  them,  as 
she  turned  out  the  light,  dropped  her  watch,  which  she 
was  in  the  habit  of  keeping-  every  night  on  a  chair  beside 
her  bed.  She  struck  a  match  too  near  her  nightgown, 
which  was  new  and  made  of  flannelette,  and  in  an  instant 
the  soft  fuzz  of  the  flannel  was  in  flames.  She  gave 
a  scream  and.  ran  down  the  stairs  to  her  mother,  who 
quickly  grasped  the  nightgown  at  the  bottom  and,  rolling 
it  together,  pulled  it  off  over  her  head.  Very  fortunately 
the  little  girl  was  not  burned.  I  ler  sister  tried  to  help, 
but  was  so  excited  that  she  only  succeeded  in  throwing 
a  rug  down  the  .stairs  after  her.  She  had  the  right  idea, 
but  she  was  not  quick  enough. 

Both  of  these  girls  knew  what  to  do,  but  they  lost 
their  heads.  What  the  one  on  fire  should  have  done  was 
to  lie  down  on  the  floor  and  roll  over  and  over;  then 
her  sister  could  have  helped  her  by  wrapping  a  rug  or 
woolen  blanket  about  her.  Fire,  like  people,  cannot  live 
without  air.  The  rug  would  have  shut  out  the  air  and  so 
have  Smothered  the  fire.  But  right  here  one  caution 
should  be  noted.      The  blanket  should  be  wrapped  from 

y- 


BURNS 


5. 


the  head  toward  the  feet,  otherwise  the  flames  would  be 
forced  out  directly  toward  the  face. 

Flames  always  go  up,  not  down.    If  the  girl  had  lain 
down  on  the  floor,  the  flames  could  not  have  climbed  so 


The  Blanket  should  be  wrapped  from  i  he  Head  toward  the  F 

far,  and,  still  more  important,  they  would  not  have  been 
going  towards  her  face. 

Fire  spreads  sideways  and  even  downwards,  but  very 
slowly  as  compared  to  its  flight  upwards.    This  girl  ought 


54  EMERGENCIES 

not  to  have  gone  downstairs.  The  flames  were  given 
every  chance;  they  were  even  being  fanned  into  fury, 
and  in  an  instant  more  she  would  have  been  breathing 
them.  It  i.s  a  wonder  that  her  face  or  at  least  her  hair 
was  not  burned  before  she  reached  her  mother.  The 
girl  did  the  worst  thing  possible,  and  it  was  almost  a 
miracle   that   she  escaped. 

Flannelette  catches  fire  very  easily  and  has  been  the 
cause  of  many  deaths.  In  the  family  where  this  accident 
happened  the  mother  will  never  again  use  it  for  her 
children. 

A  young  woman  of  my  acquaintance  knew  what  to  do 
and  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  do  it.  She  had  on  a 
flannelette  kimono  which  accidentally  became  ignited. 
She  lay  down  on  the  floor  and  put  the  fire  out  almost 
instantly  by  rolling  over  and  oyer. 

Some  manufacturers  treat  flannelette  with  a  prepara- 
tion which  has  greatly  reduced  its  inflammability.  One 
should  ask  for  the  fiameless  kind,  it  costs  very  little 
more.  .\t  any  rate,  flannelette  should  be  washed  before 
being  worn,  as  washing  reduces  its  inflammability.  Cotton 
goods  burn  more  readily  than  woolen.  Careful  mothers 
never  allow  their  children  to  play  around  bonfires  when 
they  have  on  cotton  dresses. 

.  \  friend  told  me  that  when  she  was  a  little  girl  she 
was  playing  around  a  bonfire,  and  the  cotton  dress  which 
she  had  on  took   fire  and  was  almost  completely  burned 


Ill    R\S  55 

off  her;  but  she  had  on  woolen  underwear  and  her 
mother  put  the  fire  out  before  the  woo!  had  time  to  gel 
ignited.    So  she  was  not  burned. 

One  should  be  very  careful  in  cleaning  gloves  or  laces 
with  gasoline  to  see  that  no  fire  is  about.  A  friend  of 
mine  was  badly  burned  through  being  careless  about 
this.  She  was  cleaning  some  spots  from  her  white  gloves 
before  going  out,  and  thoughtlessly  passed  near  the 
lighted  gas.  Almost  instantly  the  room  was  in  a  blaze, 
and  her  hands  and  arms  were  badly  burned. 

To  the  Teacher,  'lake  strips  of  cotton  cloth,  woolen  cloth,  and 
flannelette,  each  one  inch  wide  by  four  inches  long.  With  three  pieces  of 
wire  make  hooks  and  attach  the  pieces  of  cloth.  Bent-wire  hairpins 
will  do.  Touch  with  a  match,  and  see  which  is  the  most  inflammable. 
Similarly  take  two  pieces  of  flannelette.  Soak  one  in  alum  water  and 
one  in  plain  water.  Dry  thoroughly  and  light  as  in  the  above  experiment. 
See  which  is  more  inflammable.  In  the  same  way  take  two  pieces  of 
flannelette.  Ignite  one  at  the  bottom  and  the  other  at  the  top,  and  see 
which  burns  the  more  quickly.  Draw  attention  to  the  fact  that  in  start- 
ing a  fire  we  light  it  at  the  bottom  and  not  at  the  top. 

Accidents  with  fire  occur  in  various  ways.  During  the 
month  of  March,  1908,  among  five  hundred  newspaper 
accounts  of  children  who  had  met  with  accidents,  I 
learned  of  ninety-two  who  were  burned  in  one  way  or 
another.  Thirteen  of  these  died.  Ten  of  the  deaths 
were  due  to  scalds.  Twenty-nine  children  were  burned 
by  playing  with  fire.  Seven  of  these  were  playing  about 
bonfires    and    their   clothes    became   ignited.     Five   were 


5  6  EMERGENCIES 

playing  with  matches.  Seven  were  poking  sticks  into 
stoves  or  grates,  and  six,  while  playing,  fell  against 
stoves  or  into  fireplaces. 

All  of  these  children  who  were  burned  by  playing  with 
fire  were  six  years  or  under  in  age.  Most  of  the  acci- 
dents happened  to  the  little  four-year-olds.  At  that  age 
main-  children  are  bewitched  to  play  with  fire,  especially 
with  matches.  Careful  mothers  keep  matches  out  of 
reach  of  little  children.  Older  brothers  and  sisters  should 
help  the  younger  ones  over  this  learning  period.  To  get 
burned  i>  an  expensive  way  to  learn  that  fire  burns. 

Many  fires  could  be  prevented  if  people  would  always 
use-  safety  matches.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  fires  to  be 
started  by  mice  nibbling  sulphur  matches,  and  for  this 
reason  alone  they  should  never  be  used. 


CHAPTER   XII 

HOW    BURNS   ARE  CARED   FOR 

Supposing  that  the  little  girl  of  whom  we  were  speak- 
ing in  the  last  chapter  had  been  burned,  what  should 
the  mother  have  done  until  the  doctor  came? 

The  first  thing  to  do  would  have  been  to  exclude  the 
air  from  the  burns.  Air  coming  in  contact  with  burns  is 
what  causes  the  intense  pain.  If  large  portions  of  the 
body  are  burned,  there  is  no  better  way  of  shutting  out 
the  air  than  to  place  the  patient,  clothes  and  all,  in  a 
tub  of  warm  water  (io4°F.).  Small  burns  can  be  treated 
with  cold  water. 

The  reason  why  a  person  who  has  been  badly  burned 
should  be  put  in  warm  water  and  not  in  cold  is  that  the 
whole  temperature  of  the  body  would  be  lowered  by 
being  immersed  in  cold  water.    This  would  be  injurious. 

If  a  large  part  of  the  skin  on  the  body  is  red  and  in- 
flamed, it  means  that  more  than  the  usual  amount  of 
blood  is  passing  through  the  outer  layers  of  the  skin, 
and  this  in  itself  cools  the  body,  especially  if  the  air  is 
cool.  When  a  person  has  been  badly  burned,  it  is  often 
necessary  to  apply  artificial  heat  to  keep  up  the  general 
temperature   of  the   body.    The    normal    temperature   of 

57 


58  EMERGENCIES 

the  body  is  98.6  .  It  is  the  same  summer  and  winter. 
The  skin  is  very  wonderful  in  the  way  it  protects  the 
body  from  heat  and  cold.  When  one  lias  a  temperature 
of  105°,  that  is,  70  above  normal,  it  is  a  serious  matter; 
but  it  is  even  more  dangerous  to  lower  the  temperature 
of  the  body  sewn -degrees. 

You  often  hear  a  person  say  when  burned,  "I  put 
my  hand  in  water,  but  when  I  took  it  out  it  hurt  just  as 
much  as  it  did  before."  This  shows  that  the  thing  to  do 
is  to  keep  it  in  water.  I  knew  of  a  small  boy  whose 
hands  were  badly  burned  by  the  exploding  of  a  torpedo 
firecracker  on  the  day  before  the  Fourth  of  July.  The 
mother  was  a  physician  and  knew  of  the  water  treatment. 
All  day  long  she  had  her  little  boy  hold  his  hands  in  a 
pail  of  cold  water.  At  night,  whenever  he  awoke  and 
they  pained  him,  he  reached  over  and  held  them  in  the 
water  again.  The  next  day  was  the  Fourth  of  July,  and 
again  all  day  he  sat  (this  time  by  the  window)  with  his 
hands  in  a  pail  of 'water  and  watched  the  other  boys 
have  their  fun.  The  result  was  that  both  hands  healed 
quickly  and  no  scar  can  be  seen. 

When  a  doctor  is  called  to  take  care  of  a  burn,  he 
often  has  to  undo  what  has  already  been  done.  The 
mother  or  friends  often  treat  burns  with  Hour  or  oint- 
ment. The  doctor  is  sometimes  forced  to  remove  this, 
and  the  process  is  very  painful  and  even  injurious.  If 
the  burn   has  only  been  in  water,  the  doctor  has  a  better 


IK  >\\    BURNS  ARE  CARED    F<  >K 


59 


\  EPIDERrilS 
J  DERHIS 


First-]  )i  gree  Bi  rn 


)  EPIDERH1S 
\  DERHIS 


chance  to  use  his  skill,  for  he  lias  nothing  to  undo. 
Another  advantage  of  the  water  treatment  is  that  it 
greatly  reduces  "shock." 

"Shock"  is  due  to  a  disturbance  in  the  circulation  of 
blood.  This  disturbance  is  sometimes  great  enough  to 
cause  death. 

The  advantages  of  the 
water  treatment  are : 

i.  It  is  easy.  Water  is 
always  at  hand. 

2.  It  stops  pain  by  shut- 
ting out  air. 

3.  It  gives  the  doctor 
when  he  comes  a  better 
chance  to  use  his  skill. 

4.  It  reduces  "shock," 
from  which  many  die. 

But  there  are  times 
when  the  water  treatment 
is  not  convenient.  A  per- 
son with  a  burned  hand  or  finger  would  not  want  to  go 
around  with  a  basin  of  water  for  several  days.  I  he  treat- 
ment in  such  cases  depends  on  the  degree  of  the  burn. 

Burns  are  divided  according  to  their  degree  of  severity  : 
the  first-  or  least-degree  burns  only  cause  the  skin  to 
turn  red;  the  second-degree  burns  cause  blisters;  third- 
degree  burns  destroy  the  tissues  of  the  skin. 


Second-Degree  Burn 

1 
Third-Degree  Burn 


}  EPIDERMIS 
)  DERHIS 


60  EMERGENCIES 

When  the  skin  is  not  broken,  soft,  clean  cloths  soaked 
in  water,  in  which  common  cooking  soda  has  been  dis- 
solved, should  be  laid  carefully  over  the  burned  parts; 
then,  to  shut  out  the  air  these  first  bandages  should  be 
covered  as  completely  as  possible  with  woolen  cloths  or 
cotton  batting. 

The  first-  and  second-degree  burns  are  best  treated 
with  soda  and  water;  but  when  the  skin  is  broken,  as 
in  third-degree  burns,  oil  is  used.  This  should  be  gently 
poured  over  all  the  burned  places,  then  soft  cloths, 
soaked  in  oil,  should  be  carefully  laid  on,  and  the  whole 
covered  with  woolen  cloths  or  cotton  batting. 

Carron  oil  is  the  best  kind  of  oil  to  use.  It  is  made  of 
limewater  and  linseed  oil,  half  and  half.  Mothers  often 
keep  a  bottle  of  it  in  the  house  ready  for  just  such  an 
emergency.  Every  fire  engine  that  goes  to  a  fire  has  an 
emergency  case,  and  one  of  the  things  in  this  case  is  a 
good-sized  bottle  of  carron  oil.  Salad  oil  is  good;  Castor 
oil,  glycerin  and  vaseline,  and  even  lard  or  unsalted 
butter   will    do. 

The  seriousness  of  a  burn  depends  largely  on  how  much 
surfa<  e  <>l  the  body  is  burned.  If  as  much  as  two  thirds  of 
the  body  is  burned,  even  to  the  first  degree,  or  only  enough 
to  turn  the  >kin  red,  the  sufferer  will  probably  die;  yet 
the  whole  arm  might  be  burned  off,  and  the  person  live. 
.\  surprising  number  of  burns  are  due  to  baby's  grasping 
the  coffee  p<>t  while  sitting  near  the  mother  at  the  table. 


HOW   BURNS  ARE  CARED   FOR  61 

Scalds  arc  apt  to  be  first-degree  burns  covering  large 
portions  of  the  body,  and  for  this  reason  they  are  the 
most  fatal  of  burns.  In  March,  [908,  out  of  thirteen 
(deaths  due  to  burns,  ten  were  due  to  scalds. 

When  a  person  is  burned,  his  clothes  should  never  be 
drawn  off;  they  should  be  very  carefully  cut  off  with  a 
pair  of  sharp  scissors. 

Blisters  should  not  be  touched  for  twenty-four  hours; 
then  they  must  be  drained.  A  doctor  told  me  that  he 
found  the  best  way  to  do  this  was  by  snipping  the  center 
of  the  blister  with  a  pair  of  sharp  scissors  and  carefully 
pressing  the  sides  of  the  blister  together ;  then  it  should 
be  bandaged  with  an  oil  dressing.  Large  blisters  should 
have  the  care  of  a  physician. 

Sunburn  is  treated  in  the  same  way  as  any  other  kind 
of  a  burn.  Usually  it  is  a  first-degree  burn.  How  often 
boys  and  girls  are  careless  in  the  summer  time  and  have 
to  suffer  for  days  with  blistered  arms  and  neck  or  legs ! 
There  is  scarcely  a  person  who  has  not  suffered  in  this 
way  at  one  time  or  another. 

Too  great  care  of  burns  is  impossible.  Look  at  the 
two  pictures  on  the  following  page.  The  accidents  to 
these  two  persons  were  similar.  They  both  fell  into  fires. 
In  one  case  the  mother  knew  what  to  do  until  the  doctor 
came,  and  the  doctor  knew  the  best  treatment;  in  the 
other  case  the  doctor  attended  to  the  healing  of  the 
wound,  but  did  not  save  the  hand  from  being  crippled. 


EMERGENCIES 


You  would  scarcely  believe  that  the  person  whose  hand 
is  pictured  on  the  left  fell  with  both  hands  into  a  bon- 
fire, so  that  when  they  had  lifted  her  out,  both  hands  were 
-d  frightfully  burned  that  the  muscles  and  skin  hung 
from    the   bono.      The   mother  covered    the   hands   with 

carron  oil  and  wrapped  them 
up  until  the  doctor  came.  He 
wrapped  oil  dressing  around 
each    finger   separately,   and 


'I'm  SI      I  I  INDS     WERE    BURNED,    Bl    l 
WERE    PROPERLY   CARED    FOR 


This  Hand  was  burned  and 

CRIPPLED    I  <  iKK\  KK 


for  three  months  the  girl  had  to  be  fed.  The  doctor  had 
to  (lit  the  skin  between  the  fingers  several  times  to  keep 
them  from  growing  together.  In  the  second  case  the 
do<  tor  attended  to  the  healing  of  the  wound,  but  did 
not  keep  the  hand  open  and  the  fingers  separated.  You 
can  see  the  result. 


CHAPTER   XIII 
FIRES 

It  costs  a  city  an  immense  sum  of  money  to  protect  its 
people  and  their  property  against  fire.  New  York  expends 
ten  million  dollars  every  year  for  this  protection.  Besides 
monev,  it  takes  an  army  of  strong,  vigorous,  fearless  men. 
Each  man  who  enters  into  the  service  of  the  fire  depart- 
ment of  a  large  city  like  New  York  has  to  pass  a  Civil- 
Service  examination,  both  as  to  his  physical  and  mental 
abilities.  He  is  given  a  physical  examination  first,  and 
then,  if  he  passes  in  this,  he  is  allowed  to  take  the  mental 
examination. 

Finally,  if  he  passes  both  the  physical  and  the  mental 
examinations,  he  is  given  a  thirty  days'  probation  time. 

He  must  leave  "drink"  alone.  The  city  knows  well 
that  it  cannot  afford  to  have  firemen  who  take  alcoholic 
liquors.  A  man  under  the  influence  of  alcohol  is  not  the 
man  who  saves  our  property  or  rescues  men  and  women 
and  children  from  the  top  stories  of  burning  buildings. 
Only  men  who  are  in  full  possession  of  all  their  senses 
and  strength  are  able  to  meet  the  requirements  of  a  fire- 
man's work.    Can  you  imagine  a  man  under  the  influence 

of  liquor  doing  any  brave  deed  ? 

63 


64  EMERGENCIES 

I  )uring  the  thirty  days'  probation,  the  men  serve  on  the 

force  and  at  the  same  time  attend  a  training  school.  I 
visited  the  training  school  in  New  York  and  saw  the 
nun  learning  to  use  the  scaling  ladders  and  to  jump 
into  the  life-saving  nets,  which  they  also  learn  to  hold 
for  others  to  jump  into.  The}'  practice  making  different 
kinds  of  knots  and  throwing  a  line  over  a  building. 

While  they  are  getting  this  practical  training  they  are 
told  what  is  expected  of  them. 

You  cannot  imagine  a  fireman  under  the  influence  of 
liquor  twining  his  legs  about  the  top  round  of  a  ladder 
and  leaning  out  as  far  as  possible  to  catch  a  woman  whom 
he  has  persuaded  to  drop  into  his  arms,  and  yet  that  is 
what  one  of  our  firemen  did  once.  If  you  would  like  to 
read  more  on  this  subject,  get  Fire  Fighters  and  Their 
Pets,  by  Alfred  M.  Downes.  It  is  a  very  interesting  book 
and  has  some  good  stones. 

It  would  fill  many  books  to  begin  to  tell  all  the  brave 
deeds  of  the  firemen  of  our  country.  Many  of  these  men 
have  no  reward  except  the  consciousness  of  duty  well 
done.  "They  risk  their  lives  and  don't  talk."  Hundreds 
of  the  fires  in  which  these  brave  men  risk  their  lives  are 
caused  by  children  playing  with  matches,  or  by  careless 
men  and  boys  throwing  lighted  cigars  or  cigarettes  in 
pla<  es  where  the}-  are  likely  to  start  a  blaze. 

In  1906  there  were  in  New  York  City  alone  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-eight  fires  caused  by  children's  reckless 


FIRES  65 

use  of  matches,  and  four  hundred  and  one  were  caused 
by  lighted  cigars  or  cigarettes. 

If  you  have  discovered  a  fire,  the  first  essential  is  cool- 
headedness.  If  it  is  beyond  your  control,  give  the  alarm. 
Shut  all  the  inside  and  outside  doors  and  windows  you 
can.  This  stops  the  draught  and  confines  the  fire  to  one 
floor  or  room.  Shutting  off  draughts  is  much  better  than 
to  try  to  save  furniture. 

Even  in  small  fires  it  is  best  to  give  the  alarm.  A 
fireman  told  me  that  the  fire  department  would  not  com- 
plain if  its  services  were  not  needed.  They  would  rather 
get  there  too  soon  than  too  late. 

If  the  doors  and  windows  are  closed,  there  is  very  little 
danger  of  fire  spreading  much  before  the  firemen  get 
there.  They  will  be  able  to  save  more  household  goods 
than  you  possibly  could.  There  is  great  loss  in  pitching 
things  out  of  doors  and  windows.  The  articles  are  often 
injured  by  the  fall.  They  may  be  trampled  upon  or 
stolen,  or  they  may  be  soaked  with  water.  The  fire 
department  has  a  salvage  corps,  whose  duty  it  is  to 
save  everything  possible.  They  have  had  experience, 
are  strong,  and  have  the  necessary  things  with  which  to 
work.  Many  fires  nowadays  are  put  out  with  chemicals. 
In  such  cases  it  is  not  necessary  to  move  anything. 

Not  infrequently  a  fire  gets  started  down  in  the  hold 
of  a  ship  when  it  is  far  out  on  the  ocean.  What  does  the 
captain  do?    He  does  not  let  his  passengers  get  excited 


66  EMERGENCIES 

it  he  can  prevent  it.  I  Ie  orders  the  crew  to  shut  off  from 
the  rest  of  the  ship  the  compartment  where  the  fire  is, 
thus  preventing  a  draught  of  air  from  getting  to  the  fire. 
A  few  days  ago  I  read  this  heading  in  a  newspaper, — 
"Ship  Afire  Four  Days."  The  ship  finally  reached  land. 
Its  cargo  was  damaged,  but  the  ship  and  the  people  on 
it  were  saved.  It  would  have  been  impossible  to  save  the 
ship  if  air  had  been  allowed  to  fan  the  flames.  Fire  soon 
exhausts  the  oxygen  that  is  in  a  room,  and  there  can  be 
no  fire  without  oxygen. 


CHAPTER   XIV 
EYE  TROUBLES 

In  this  country,  a  hundred  years  ago,  boys  and  girls 
went  to  school  only  about  three  months  during  the 
winter.  They  had  to  help  their  parents  in  the  work  of 
the  farm  and  the  home  during  the  rest  of  the  year. 
There  were  very  few  libraries,  and  they  were  not  for 
the  use  of  children.  Very  little  time  comparatively  was 
!>'i\en  to  books. 

Now  all  this  has  changed.  The  eye  is  taxed  as  it 
never  was  in  all  the  ages  past.  Children,  while  they  are 
growing,  spend  most  of  their  time  when  they  are  awake 
with  books.  For  many  hours  each  day  the  eyes  are 
focused  on  a  page  of  printed  matter.  Sometimes  the 
print  is  good,  sometimes  not. 

This  is  a  terrible  strain  on  the  eyesight,  as  is  shown  by 
the  examinations  of  the  eyes  of  school  children.  There 
are  twice  as  many  children  who  have  eye  troubles  at 
sixteen  as  at  eight  years  of  age  (see  Medical  Inspection 
of  Schools,  by  Gulick  and  Ayres). 

A  great  deal  of  this  strain  on  the  eyes  is  given 
unnecessarily.  Both  boys  and  girls  know  how  a  book 
should    be    held    while    reading,    but    often    they   do   not 

67  " 


68 


EMERGENCIES 


think  it  is  worth  while  to  bother  about  it.  Each  time  it 
seems  too  much  trouble  to  move.  You  can  read  the 
page  with  a  dim  light,  and  so  you  do  not  bother  to  get 
a  good  light.  Perhaps,  too,  you  sit  incorrectly  with  the 
light  in  your  eyes  and  a  shadow  on  your  book. 

Children  are  constantly 
reminded  by  their  parents 
and  friends  about  this  mat- 
ter, but  it  does  not  seem  to 
correct  the  trouble.  A  good 
plan  is  to  find  out  for 
yourself  by  experiment  just 
where  you  can  read  or  study 
to  the  best  advantage.  Try 
different  positions  in  the 
rooms  where  you  read  and 
study.  Sit  with  your  face 
to  the  light  and  then  with 
your  back  to  the  light ;  then 
sit  with  your  right  side 
towards  the  light  and  then  with  your  left  side  towards 
the  light.  See  in  which  position  you  can  read  most 
easily.  You  will  probably  find  that  if  you  sit  so  that  the 
light  comes  from  the  back  over  your  left  shoulder,  you 
air  in  the  best  position.  After  you  have  once  done  this 
carefully  for  each  room,  it  is  decided  for  all  future  times. 
You  will  not  have  to  Stop  and  think  about  it  again. 


The  Ligh  i  comes  over  i  he  Lefi 
Shoulder 


EYE  TROUBLES 


69 


% 


A  habit  of  correct  sitting  while  reading  can  be  per- 
manently formed  in  this  way.  The  habit  is  worth  while 
for  another  reason,  too,  for  many  ills,  such  as  headaches, 
dizziness,  and  nervousness  of  various  kinds,  are  brought 
on  by  eye  troubles.  Prevention  is  much  better  than  cure. 
Taking  care  is  much  better 
than  wearing  glasses. 

The  eyes  are  wonderfully 
protected  from  accidents. 
They  are  set  back  in  a 
strong,  bony  cavity.  The 
eyelids,  edged  with  thick 
hairs,  keep  out  dust  and  in- 
sects, and  the  tears  usually 
wash  away  whatever  dust 
sifts  through. 

Things   in   the   Eve 

When  a  cinder  or  insect 
or  particle  of  dust  gets  into  your  eye  do  not  rub  it,  no 
matter  how  much  you  feel  that  you  must.  Rubbing  will 
probably  push  whatever  is  there  still  more  firmly  into  the 
eye.  Rubbing  the  other  eye  often  assists  the  flow  of  tears 
and  helps  wash  out  the  particle. 

A  common  way  and  a  good  one  of  removing  a  small 
particle  such  as  a  cinder  is  to  moisten  a  corner  of  your 
handkerchief    and    let    a    friend    wipe    the    particle    off. 


A  Good  Position 


;o 


EMERGENCIES 


M<»t  particles  can  be  taken  out  by  this  means  without 
further  trouble.  I  always  prefer,  if  possible,  to  take  the 
troublesome  thing  out  myself.  To  stand  by  a  mirror  and 
find  it  myself  is  much  easier  for  me  than  trusting  some 
one  else  to  do  it.    It  does  not  seem  to  hurt  so  much. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  close 
the  eyes  for  a  few  minutes 
until  the  flow  of  tears  gets 
well  started.  If  the  tears 
have  not  washed  the  thing 
out,  try  taking  hold  of  the 
eyelashes  of  the  upper  lid 
and  bringing  it  out  and 
down  over  the  lower  lid. 
Often  the  particle  will  be 
left  on  the  lower  lid.  Sneez- 
ing or  blowing  the  nose 
sometimes  assists   its   com- 

LOOKING    FOR    THE    ClNDER  T"  111"  i.1 

mg  away.  I  ry  holding  the 
upper  lid  away  from  the  eye  and  rolling  the  eyeball  up 
and  down  and  from  one  side  to  the  other. 

If  none  of  these  ways  is  successful,  sit  clown  in  a  chair, 
let  a  friend  stand  behind  you,  and  press  your  head  firmly 
againsl  his  (best.  Then  let  him  take  hold  of  the  eye- 
lashes and  turn  the  lid  back.  In  this  way  the  surface  of 
the  upper  lid  is  exposed,  so  that  whatever  is  lodged  there 
can  be  easily  wiped  off  with  a  piece  of  soft,  wet  cloth. 


EYE  TROUBLES  71 

After  the  particle  is  removed,  the  eye  often  feels  as  if 
it  were  still  there;  but  this  feeling  soon  passes  away.  If 
it  remains  for  a  long  time,  an  oculist  should  be  consulted. 

A  little  girl  while  playing  at  a  neighbor's  had  her  left 
eye  seriously  burned  by  mortar,  which  fell  into  the  eye 
as  she  was  gazing-  up  at  the  house.  In  a  case  of  this 
kind  wash  the  eye  with  water  to  which  a  little  vinegar 
has  been  added.  The  acid  of  the  vinegar  will  neutralize 
the  alkali  of  the  lime  in  the  mortar. 

Black   Eye 

-. 

A  boy  came  into  my  home  a  few  days  ago  with  a 
black  eye.  He  had  been  playing  football.  If  he  had 
been  at  home  and  had  bathed  his  eye  with  hot  water, 
he  could  have  scattered  much  of  the  blood  which  caused 
the  dark  color  (see  p.  35).  Hot  water  would  have  kept 
the  blood  circulating  so  that  the  extra  blood  would  have 
been  carried  off.  If  you  want  to  hasten  the  cure  of  a 
black  eye,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  rub  it  gently.  This  mas- 
sage aids  the  circulation  and  so  helps  to  carry  off  the 
extra  blood. 

Whenever  the  eyelids  are  glued  together  in  the  morn- 
ing, it  shows  that  there  is  some  trouble  which  needs 
attention.  Whenever  the  eyelids  twitch  or  feel  queer  in 
any  way,  there  is  some  trouble.  Washing  the  eye  with 
boracic  acid,  as  described  on  page  38,  can  do  no  harm 
and  may  very  likely  be  all  that  is  needed. 


CHAPTER   XV 
TOOTHACHE  AND  ACCIDENTS  TO  THE  TEETH 

A  friend  of  mine  had  his  two  upper  front  teeth  knocked 
out  when  he  was- a  boy.  The}'  were  not  his  "baby"  teeth, 
but  tlie  strong,  permanent  ones.  He  was  frightened  and 
feared  a  scolding  from  his  mother;  so  he  pushed  them 
right  back  into  their  places  again,  and  there  they  are  to 
this  day!  He  is  a  man  forty-five  years  old.  I  wrote  him 
to  be  certain  that  I  had  the  facts  exactly  right,  and  he 
said  in  his  letter,  "  I  stuck  them  back  and  I  still  have 
them,  although  they  are  discolored  because  of  the  death 
of  the  nerves." 

My  dentist  told  me  of  another  case.  A  boy  playing 
baseball  was  hit  on  the  mouth  by  the  bat,  knocking  out 
one  tooth  and  loosening  another.    I  le  went  to  the  dentist 

5ee  what  could  be  done  with  the  loosened  tooth.  The 
dentist  told  him  that  if  he  had  brought  the  one  which 
had  been  knocked  out,  it  could  have  been  replaced.  It 
was  dark,  but  the  boy  took  a  lantern  and  went  to  the 
baseball  held  and  looked  about  until  he  found  his  tooth; 
then  he  took  it  to  the  dentist,  who  put  it  back  in  its  place. 

The  dentist  has  several  methods  of  doing  this.  Most 
frequently  he  bridges  the  loosened  tooth  to  the  sound 

:- 


TOOTHACHE  AND  ACCIDENTS  TO  THE  TEETH      73 

tooth  or  teeth  beside  it.  At  other  times  he  tics  it  into 
place.  Even  though  the  gum  is  lacerated,  loosened  teeth 
can  often  be  fastened  into  their  places  again. 

This  is  worth  remembering.  You  can  have  your  teeth 
replaced  if  they  get  knocked  out,  but  you  must  attend 
to  the  matter  immediately  or  it  will  be  too  late.  If  a 
piece  of  tooth  is  broken  off,  the  dentist  can  patch  it  up. 

If  you  take  perfect  care  of  the  teeth,  you  will  not  be 
troubled  by  toothache.  But  few  of  us  escape  it  altogether, 
and  when  a  toothache  comes  it  is  well  to  know  what  to 
do  for  it. 

If  there  is  a  hole  in  the  tooth,  twist  some  clean  cotton 
around  the  point  of  a  wooden  toothpick  and  use  it  to 
clean  the  hole.  Then  take  another  piece  of  cotton,  dip 
it  into  oil  of  cloves,  and  push  it  gently  into  the  cavity. 
This  will  stop  almost  any  toothache  which  is  caused  by 
a  cavity.  Salt  or  baking  soda  used  in  the  same  way  will 
sometimes  stop  the  pain.    Drop  a  little  into  the  cavity. 

Where  there  is  no  cavity,  it  is  more  difficult  to  know 
what  to  do.  The  old  way  was  to  hold  something  hot 
against  the  cheek.  Hags  of  heated  salt  were  sometimes 
used;  at  other  times  hot  cloths  or  a  hot-water  bottle. 
This  is  all  right  if  the  tooth  is  alive,  but  if  the  tooth  is 
dead  and  sore  to  the  touch,  heat  is  not  the  best  treat- 
ment, unless  we  want  the  gum  to  ulcerate  and  the 
inflammation  to  come  to  a  head.  Sometimes  this  is 
necessary,  but  in  most  cases  it   is  desirable  not   to  allow 


"I 


KMKRGKXCIKS 


*<£££?<* 


the  inflammation  to  form,  and  to  prevent  this  there  is 
nothing  so  good  as  a  piece  of  ice  held  against  the  cheek. 
This  often  stops  tlie  pain  and  prevents  further  trouble. 
Many  people  do  not  know  of   this  ice  treatment.    They 

imagine  that  ice  would  cause 
pain  and  do  harm  ;  but  you  will 
find  that  modern  dentists  will 
tell  you  to  use  it  in  such  a  case 
as  we  have  described.  For  the 
same  reason  doctors  order  an 
ice  bag  for  a  quinsy  sore  throat 
or  for  an  abscess,  so  as  not  to 
allow  inflammation  to  form. 

There  is  one  thing  every  child 
ought  to  know  about  his  teeth. 
At  the  age  of  six  years  four  of 
tlie  largest  teeth  make  their  ap- 
pearance. These  are  permanent 
teeth,  —  two  on  each  jaw.  The 
arrows  will  .show  you  their  exact 
location.  These  teeth  run  a  se- 
rious danger  from  the  fact  that 
the)-  grow  right  in  among  the  baby  teeth.  Baby  teeth 
are  almost  sure  to  be-  more  or  less  decayed,  and  this 
decay  may  spread  to  the  four  new  teeth,  which  ought  to 
Ias1  for  a  lifetime.  They  are  valuable  grinders,  and  we 
cannot  afford  to  have  any  harm  come  to  them.    Watch 


'I'm.  Four  A rrows  poini    i<> 

PerMANENI       Ti.I.i  11.       WHICH 

come  vi  'in.  A 1. 1.  of  Six 


TOOTHACHE  AND  ACCIDENTS  TO  THE  TEETH      75 

them  carefully.  Do  not  let  a  decayed  spot  appear;  if  it 
does  appear,  go  at  once  to  a  dentist.  Do  not  wait  until 
vou  have  a  toothache. 

The  Germans  have  a  saying,  "Healthy  teeth,  healthy 
stomach,  healthy  body." 

Dr.  Osier,  one  of  the  best  known  doctors  in  the  world, 
savs  that  there  is  nothing  so  important  for  good  health 
as  the  proper  care  of  the  teeth.  Decayed  teeth  have  all 
kinds  of  microbes  clustering  about  them  ready  to  make 
trouble. 

I  know  a  young  woman  who  had  a  most  desirable 
place  as  a  stenographer,  but  her  employer  dismissed 
her  because  her  breath  was  bad.  Her  bad  breath  was 
due  to  poor,  decayed  teeth. 

In  many  cities  of  our  country,  leaflets  about  the  im- 
portance of  the  care  of  the  teeth  are  distributed  in 
order  to  get  people  to  pay  more  attention  to  this  sub- 
ject. Boston  distributed  one  called  Care  and  Use  of  the 
Teeth,  which  is  worth  studying  (see  next  page). 

There  is  one  exception  that  some  dentists  would 
make  to  these  rules,  and  that  is  that  brushing  the  teeth 
once  a  clay  is  enough,  although  it  is  well  to  rinse  out 
the  mouth  after  eating  so  that  particles  of  food  will  not 
be  left  about  the  teeth.  But  here  again  is  an  exception, 
because  people  are  not  all  alike;  some  need  to  brush 
their  teeth  more  frequently  than  others. 


76 


EMERGENCIES 


Sonic  dentists  make  contracts  with  people  to  take  care 
of  their  teeth  by  the  year. 

I  have  a  friend  who  sends  her  children  on  a  given  day 
every  month  to  have  their  teeth  examined  and  cleaned. 
The  result  is  that  these  children  have  no  cavities  in  their 
teeth,  and  tartar  is  never  allowed  to  form  on  them. 


What  are  the  teeth  for? 

Not  merely  for  ornament.  Their  chief  use  is 
10  prepare  the  food  for  the  stomach  —  to  grind 
the  food  and  mix  it  with  saliva.  Food  which 
is  not  thoroughly  chewed  causes  indigestion 
and  constipation. 

How  long  should  the  teeth  last? 
To  the  end  of  life. 

How  do  we  lose  them  ? 

By  decay  and  loosening. 
What  causes  teeth  to  decay  ? 

Bits  of  food  and  candy  sticking  to  the  teeth  ; 

also  a  poor  physical  condition. 

Where  does  the  food  lodge  ? 

All  along  the  edge  of  the  gums  between  the 
teeth,  and  in  the  crevices  of  the  grinding 
surfaces. 

Can  decay  be  prevented  ? 

Yes,  to  a  large  extent. 
How  can  decay  be  prevented? 

By   scrubbing   the    teeth    thoroughly   with    a 

toothbrush,  tooth  powder  and  water  ;   and  by 

keeping  up  the  general  health. 


How  often  should  the  teeth  be  cleaned  ? 
At  least  twice  a  day  —  after  breakfast  and  at 
bedtime.    Better  after  each  meal. 

Should  the  gums  be  brushed  ? 

Yes.     Moderate  friction   helps  to  keep  them 
healthy. 

How  often  should  tooth  powder  be  used  ? 
At  least  once  a  day  —  at  bedtime. 

Twice  a  year,  at  least,  a  Dentist  should 
carefully  examine  the  teeth. 

A  bad  condition  of  the  throat,  the  nose, 
and  the  ears  is  made  worse  by  decayed 
teeth.  They  add  to  the  chances  of  catch- 
ing infectious  diseases.  Well-cared-for 
teeth  and  a  clean  mouth  help  prevent 
TUBERCULOSIS. 

Cleanliness  is  the  best  guard  against 
disease. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

ACCIDENTS   TO   THE   NOSE 

I  once  knew  a  little  boy  who  began  to  talk  through 
his  nose,  and  as  time  went  on  the  trouble  grew  worse 
and  worse.  We  did  not  know  what  was  the  matter  with 
him.  He  didn't  seem  to  have  a  cold.  Finally  we  took 
him  to  a  doctor,  who  found  in  his  nose  a  bean,  which 
had  swollen  and  begun  to  sprout.  The  larger  it  became, 
the  more  trouble  it  gave  him. 

Little  children  often  push  things  up  their  noses, — 
beans,  peas,  shoe  buttons,  and  sometimes  little  pebbles. 
I  once  heard  of  a  little  girl  who  pushed  a  bean  up  her 
nose.  Her  mother  tried  to  get  it  out  but  failed,  and  finally 
took  the  child  to  a  doctor,  but  the  doctor  could  n't  get  it 
out.  When  they  got  home  the  little  girl's  grandmother 
made  her  sneeze  by  scattering  a  few  grains  of  pepper  in 
the  air.  Instantly  the  bean  flew  out.  This  is  a  harmless 
remedy  and  should  be  tried  before  going  to  the  doctor. 
Tickling  the  nose  with  a  feather  or  a  piece  of  thread  is 
less  irritating  than  pepper  and  can  be  easily  tried. 

It  is  bad  to  try  to  push  an  object  of  any  kind  out  of 
the  nose,  for  the  more  you  push  and  probe  the  further 
back  the  obstacle  will  go.    Try  holding  one  nostril  and 

77 


-S  EMERGENCIES 

blowing  through  the  other.  A  slap  on  the  back  will 
often  be  sufficient.  My  own  little  girl  once  shoved  a 
shoe  button  up  her  nose.  1  could  not  get  hold  of  it  and 
\\a>  afraid  to  try  very  much  for  fear  of  hurting  the  deli- 
cate lining"  of  the  nose  and  pushing  the  button  further 
up,  so  I  took  her  to  our  doctor.  He  had  no  trouble  find- 
ing it.  A  little  mirror  strapped  on  his  forehead  reflected 
the  light  far  up  into  the  nostril,  and  he  could  easily  see 
the  button.  Then  with  a  pair  of  nippers  he  drew  it  out 
at  once. 

The  nose  has  been  called  the  "  sanitary  scout."  When 
you  come  into  a  room  where  gas  has  been  escaping 
your  nose  instantly  tells  you  of  it.  If  there  is  the  least 
bit  of  odor  of  smoke,  we  go  sniffing  around  through 
every  room  to  find  out  what  is  the  cause  of  it.  When- 
ever we  become  aware  of  any  strange  odor  around,  the 
nose  tells  us  to  go  and  investigate.  Many  people  have 
been  saved  from  death  by  this  "scout."  Illuminating 
gas,  coal  gas,  and  smoke  are  all  detected  by  the  nose, 
unless  we  are  asleep  or  have  bad  colds.  Some  dangerous 
gases  have  no  odor,  or  very  little.  Among  my  newspaper 
accounts  was  one  of  a  boy  of  fourteen  years  who,  while 
playing,  dropped  his  ball  into  a  sewer  pipe.  lie  struck  a 
match  to  find  it,  and  an  explosion  resulted  which  knocked 
him  down  and  made  him  unconscious  for  several  hours. 
I'  is  wise  to  be  careful  about  making  investigations  with 
lighted  matches. 


ACCIDENTS  TO  THE  NOSE 


79 


NoSKBI.KKDING 


If  your  nose  is  bleeding,  sit  as  illustrated  in  the  pic- 
ture, with  the  head  erect.  It  is  bad  to  lean  over  a 
basin.  A  boy  who  stands  on  his  head  knows  how  the 
blood  rushes  down  into  it  until  it  is  so  uncomfortable 
that  he  can't  stay  in  that 
position  any  longer.  If  you 
want  your  hands  to  look 
pale,  hold  them  over  your 
head  for  a  few  minutes. 
They  become  pale  because 
less  blood  flows  up  into 
them.  It  is  for  this  reason 
that  you  want  to  keep  a 
bleeding  head"  erect,  and 
for  the  same  reason  if  your 
foot  is  cut  and  bleeding, 
you  should  lie  down  and 
support  the  foot  higher 
than  the  rest  of  the  body.  It  will  check  the  flow  <>t 
blood  somewhat. 

Blood  becomes  thick  when  it  comes  in  contact  with 
air.  Doctors  call  this  thickening  "coagulation  "  of  blood. 
Cold  water  and  ice  help  to  coagulate  blood.  For  this 
reason  when  the  nose  is  bleeding  it  is  well  to  put  ice  or 
something  cold  on  the  back  of  the  neck  and  over  the 


Keep   i  he  Head  Erect 


So  EMERGENCIES 

bridge  of  the  nose  to  cool  the  blood.  This  is  most 
easily  done  by  using  two  towels.  Place  one  of  them 
around  the  neck,  having  cracked  ice  in  a  fold  where  it 
will  come  against  the  back  of  the  neck.  Put  the  other 
around  the  head,  having  the  ice  come  on  the  forehead 
and  on  the  bridge  of  the  nose.  Pressure  will  often  check 
the  bleeding.  Pinch  the  nostrils  together.  The  blood  is 
held  back  until  enough  has  thickened  to  stop  up  the 
opening.  A  teaspoonful  of  alum  in  a  cup  of  water,  or 
some  vinegar  in  water,  or  tannin  helps  to  coagulate 
blood.  Putting  the  feet  into  hot  water  is  good  treat- 
ment. The  hot  water  dilates  the  blood  vessels  of  the 
legs  and  feet  and  so  keeps  more  blood  there,  conse- 
quently  there   is   less   in   the   head. 

If  the  nose  continues  to  bleed  a  long  time,  it  may  be 
necessary  to  plug  up  the  nostril  with  cotton.  A  good 
way  is  to  take  a  piece  of  cotton  as  large  as  the  end  of 
one's  thumb,  tie  a  piece  of  thread  around  it  and  soak  it 
in  alum  water  or  strong  tea,  and  then  twist  it  up  gently 
into  the  bleeding  nostril.  The  thread  is  there  to  help 
pull  it  out  later.  When  the  bleeding  has  stopped,  this 
must  be  done  very  gently  or  the  bleeding  will  begin 
again.  A  piece  of  clean  linen  will  do,  leaving  an  end 
with   which   to   withdraw   it. 

It  is  mo>t  important  to  keep  quiet.  The  more  you 
move,  the  faster  the  heart  beats  and  thus  more  blood  is 
kepi  running  through  the  arteries  and  veins. 


ACCIDENTS  TO  THE  NOSE  Si 

Do  not  blow  the  nose  or  cough  il  you  can  help  it. 
One  should  not  blow  the  nose  for  sonic  time  after  the 
bleeding  stops. 

Nosebleeding  is  not  usually  dangerous. 

Children  often  have  a  disagreeable  way  of  picking 
their  noses,  which  is  apt  to  cause  bleeding.  A  blow  some- 
times causes  it. 

Children  who  have  nosebleed  are  usually  those  who 
are  much  of  the  time  indoors.  If  one  is  subject  to  it,  a 
good  remedy  is  plenty  of  outdoor  exercise. 


CHAPTER   XVII 
POISONS 

There  arc  no  kinds  of  accidents  where  the  knowledge 
of  what  to  do  and  the  ability  to  act  promptly  are  more 
important  than  in  cases  of  poisoning. 

Always  call  a  doc  lor. 

Until  the  doctor  comes  it  is  safe  to  give  an  emetic, — 
something  which  will  make  the  stomach  "  throw  up  "  its 
contents.  Make  the  patient  drink  cupfuls  of  mustard  and 
warm  water  (one  tablespoonful  of  mustard  to  a  quart  of 
water)  or  salt  and  water.  He  must  keep  drinking  it  until 
he  vomits. 

Do  not  wait  to  send  to  the  store  for  mustard.  Do  not 
even  hunt  for  the  salt  if  it  is  not  right  at  hand.  Every 
'iid  is  precious.  Warm  water  alone  will  do.  Do  not 
wait  even  to  warm  the  water.  Give  cold  water  until  some 
water  has  been  warmed.  Remember  that  you  must  hurry. 
.\  life  may  depend  upon  it.  .After  ten  minutes  repeat  the 
process,  so  as  to  be  certain  that  the  poison  is  all  out  of 
the  stomach. 

There  are  two  exceptions  to  this  rule,  and  these  are  in 
<  ases  of  acid  or  alkaline  poisoning.  When  you  put  some 
soda,  which  i^  an  alkaline  substance,  into  some  vinegar, 


POISONS  S3 

which  contains  an  acid,  the  vinegar  begins  to  froth  and 
soon  loses  all  its  sour  taste.  It  is  neutralized.  The  same 
thing  happens  in  the  stomach  of  a  person  who  has  >w  al- 
lowed a  poisonous  acid  if  we  give  him  some  kind  of  an 
alkali,  or  if  he -has  swallowed  some  poisonous  alkali  and 
we  give  him  an  acid.  When  the  two  become  rightly  bal- 
anced they  become  neutral.  In  general,  as  soon  as  an 
acid,  even  the  most  deadly,  has  become  neutralized  by 
an  alkali  it  becomes  comparatively  harmless.  Hut  a  purga- 
tive should  promptly  be  taken  to  flush  out  the  intestines 
and  thus  rid  the  system  of  the  mixture.  A  good  dose  of 
castor  oil  is  effective. 

As  both  acids  and  alkalis  hurt  the  inside  of  the  stomach, 
it  is  necessary  for  the  patient,  after  taking  the  antidote, 
to  swallow  some  substance  such  as  milk,  white  of  eggs, 
oil,  or  flour  and  water  mixed  together. 

//  is  a/ways  safe  to  give  whites  of  eggs  in  ease  of  any 
kind  of  poisoning.  Stir  the  white  of  four  eggs  into  a  quart 
of  water,  and  make  the  person  drink  as  much  as  he  can. 
There  are  some  exceptions  to  the  use  of  milk  or  oils. 

In  the  case  of  acid  poisoning  it  is  well  to  breathe  the 
fumes  of  ammonia.  This  will  tend  to  neutralize  an}-  of 
the  acid  which  may  have  gotten  into  the  air  passages  of 
nose  or  windpipe.  Never  place  the  bottle  itself  to  the 
nose  of  the  patient,  always  put  the  ammonia  on  a  hand- 
kerchief or  a  piece  of  cloth.  Only  enough  should  be  used 
to  relieve  the  patient. 


84  EMERGENCIES 

Almost  all  poison  accidents  happen  to  children  be- 
tween two  and  four  years  of  age.  Most  of  these  accidents 
could  be  prevented  if  people  were  more  careful  to  keep 
poisons  out  of  the  reach  of  little  children.  All  poisons 
should  he  carefully  labeled  and  kept  apart  from  other 
1  xittles.  Some  people  stick  pins  through  the  corks  of 
bottles  that  have  poisons  in  them,  but  even  with  such 
precautions  it  is  safer  to  look  carefully  at  the  label  before 
taking  anything  from  a  bottle. 

I  know  of  a  case  which  happened  to  be  amusing  rather 
than  harmful.  A  friend  got  up  in  the  night  to  put  some 
cold  cream  on  her  face  and,  finding  what  she  thought 
was  the  cold-cream  jar,  carefully  rubbed  a  lot  of  it  in. 
The  next  morning  she  discovered  that  it  was  black  shoe 
paste  that  she  had  used. 

If,  when  a  person  is  poisoned,  the  hands  and  feet  be- 
come cold,  the  lips  turn  blue,  and  cold  perspiration  stands 
out  on  the  forehead,  the  patient  should  be  put  to  bed  and 
warmly  covered  up.  Hot-water  bottles  should  be  used 
freely.  At  this  stage  it  is  well  to  give  a  cup  of  strong  tea 
or  coffee. 

A  nine-months-old  baby  who  was  just  learning  to 
<  reep  saw  one  day  a  pretty  piece  of  red  paper  on  the 
floor.  It  attracted  her  eye  and  she  managed  to  creep  to 
it  and,  just  as  all  babies  do,  put  it  into  her  mouth.  Her 
mother  was  busy  and  did  not  see  what  the  baby  had 
done,   but   after  a  while   she    noticed  that   the  baby    was 


J'()IS(  INS 


85 


deadly  white,  and  soon  the  little  one  began  to  "throw 
up."  She  was  very  ill.  The  mother  sent  for  the  doctor. 
But  before  the  doctor  came  the  mother  had  discovered 
the  cause  of  the  trouble.  She  noticed  tiny  pieces  of  fed 
paper  in  what  the  baby  had  vomited,  and  looking  around 
found  part  of  a  red  theater 
ticket,  which  showed  signs 
of  the  baby's  mouthing. 
Arsenic  is  used  in  many 
dyes ;  it  was  used  in  this 
case.  A  sufficient  amount 
of  arsenic  will  cause  vomit- 
ing, and  fortunately  the 
baby  had  swallowed  just 
the  right  amount.  So  when 
the  doctor  came  he  said 
there  was  nothing  for  him 
to  do.  Nature  had  provided 
the  best  treatment. 

Arsenic  is  often  used  in 
the    coloring   of   cheap    candies.     Many  mothers    never 
let  their  children  have  bright-colored  candies  if  they  can 

help  it. 

Plants  Poisonous  to  Eat 

I  had  a  roommate  in  college  who  was  certain  she  knew 
edible  mushrooms  from  the  poisonous  kind.  One  day 
when  we  were  out  walking  in  the  woods  she  ate  what 


'I'm:  Deadly  Amanita 


86  EMERGENCIES 

she  thought  was  a  good  mushroom.  In  about  half  an 
hour  she  became  violently  ill  with  terrible  cramps  in  her 
stomacn.  We  called  a  physician  and  he  gave  her  an 
emetic  to  get  the  poisonous  substance  out  of  her  stomach 
and  then  a  purgative  to  clean  out  the  whole  digestive 
tract.  She  was  soon  relieved,  but  for  some  time  she 
was  very  weak. 

It  takes  an  expert  to  select  edible  mushrooms  from 
the  poisonous  kinds.  The  only  safe  rule  for  most  people 
is  to  leave  them  alone. 

It  is  unsafe  to  eat  berries  you  find  in  the  woods  unless 
you  know  what  they  are.  Poke  berries  and  holly  berries 
are  both  poisonous.  Six  poke  berries  have  been  known 
to  cause  the  death  of  a  child.  Although  both  of  these 
berries  are  poisonous  to  human  beings,  they  are  good 
food  for  some  of  our  best  birds,  such  as  the  bluebirds 
and   robins. 

If  some  poisonous  plant  or  berry  has  been  eaten  in 
the  woods,  where  you  cannot  get  mustard  or  salt  or  even 
warm  water  for  an  emetic,  try  putting  your  finger  into 
the  throat,  or  tickle  the  throat  with  a  piece  of  grass  or 
something  of  the  kind. 

Tobacco  is  another  poisonous  plant.  Some  boys  are 
made  violently  ill  the  first  time  they  try  using  a  little  of 
it.  The  body  seems  to  get  used  to  this  poison  after  a 
while,  although  it  has  been  found  that  boys  who  use  it 
do  not  grow    so  tall  as  other  boys.     One  can  make  the 


POISONS  87 

body  adapt  itself  to  almost  any  poison.  The  treatment 
for  tobacco  poisoning  is  an  emetic  and  then  a  dose  of 
strong,  hot  tea.    Keep  the  patient  lying  down. 

To  the  Teacher.  A  small  bottle  of  vinegar  and  a  little  cooking 
soda  can  be  easily  obtained.  One  can  explain  to  the  children  that  vine- 
gar is  an  acid  and  soda  an  alkali.  By  putting  some  of  the  vinegar  into  a 
glass  and  adding  a  little  soda,  the  children  can  see  the  process  of  neutral- 
ization going  on.  Explain  to  them  that  when  a  person  has  taken  a  poi- 
sonous acid  into  his  stomach  and  we  give  the  person  an  alkali  that  the 
same  neutralization  takes  place.  Have  the  children  taste  the  vinegar  and 
the  soda  before  and  after  they  are  mixed.  Get  them  to  make  lists  of  all 
the  acids  and  alkalis  they  know. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

POISONS  —  TREATMENT  A.\  I  >  AMI  I )( >TES 

I  [ere  are  a  few  cases  which  illustrate  the  varied  poison 
accidents  constantly  happening  to  very  little  children. 

Phosphorus  Matches 

A  little  three-year-old  girl  was  suddenly  taken  ill.  She 
had  sucked  the  heads  off  some  matches  and  was  poisoned 
by  the  phosphorus.  The  doctors  did  all  they  could  for 
her  but  she  died  in  a  few  hours.  It  is  common  for  little 
children  to  want  to  suck  matches.  Matches  are  doubly 
dangerous  for  this  reason  and  also  because  of  fire.  Too 
much  cannot  be  said  about  keeping  them  out  of  reach 
of  the  small  children.  Safety  matches  are  therefore  the 
best  to  use,  for  there  is  no  phosphorus  in  them.  Phos- 
phorus poisoning  is  not  uncommon  among  people  who 
work  in  match  factories. 

Treatment.  The  treatment  for  phosphorus  poisoning 
is  an  emetic  to  get  the  phosphorus  out  of  the  stomach; 
then  the  white  of  an  egg  to  coat  the  inside  of  the  stomach 
with  something  soothing;  and  then  later  a  purgative  to 
«  lc m  out  the  digestive  track.  Epsom  salts  is  better  than 
(  a -tor  oil  for  this  case. 

ss 


POISONS  —  TREATMENT    WD  ANTIDOTES  89 

Rat  Poison,  Arsenic,   Paris  Green 

A  baby  a  year  old  crept  behind  the  stove  and  ate 
some  rat  biscuit  which  the  father  had  placed  there.  The 
mother  did  not  notice  at  the  time  what  the  child  was 
doing,  but  soon  discovered  that  the  baby  was  violently 
ill.  She  gave  the  baby  an  emetic,  and  when  the  doctor 
came  the  danger  was  over.  Arsenic  is  usually  the  poison 
that  is  used  in  rat  poison. 

Treatment.    Emetic,  milk  or  white  of  eggs. 

TERPENTINE 

A  little  two-year-old  child  drank  some  turpentine 
which  the  painters  had  left  in  the  house.  It  was  quickly 
discovered  and  the  doctors  saved  the  child's  life. 

Treatment.    Emetic,  milk  or  white  of  eggs. 

Iodine 

A  child  three  years  old  got  hold  of  a  bottle  of  iodine 
and  was  made  violently  ill.  A  neighbor  gave  the  child 
an  emetic  of  warm  water  and  mustard,  so  that  the  iodine 
was  quickly  removed  from  the  stomach. 

Treatment.  Emetic,  starch  mixed  in  water;  later,  whites 
of  eggs  beaten  up  in  milk. 

Strychnine 
Another  child  two  years  old  gave  her  six-months-old 
baby  brother  some  strychnine  pills.    The  little  girl  had 


go  EMERGENCIES 

seen  her  mother  give  the  baby  other  medicine,  and  she 
thought  that  she  would  try  a  little  doctoring  herself.  The 
mother  soon  discovered  what  was  happening  and  gave 
the  child  an  emetic. 

Treatment.    Emetic,  strong  tea,  artificial  respiration. 

*  Gasoline 

Another  three-year-old  child  was  made  dangerously 
ill  by  drinking  some  gasoline.  She  found  the  can  con- 
taining the  gasoline  on  a  piazza  and  drank  it  from  the 
spout  of  the  can.   The  child's  life  was  saved  by  an  emetic. 

Treatment.    Emetic. 

Among  little  children  the  acid  accidents  are  apt  to  be 
caused  by  spilling  the  acid  and  so  being  burned.  They 
do  not  often  drink  an  acid. 

Carbolic-Acid  Burns 

An  eighteen-months-old  child  emptied  a  bottle  of  car- 
bolic acid  over  its  body.  The  child  was  terribly  burned. 
It  had  succeeded  in  getting  the  bottle  from  a  shelf;  then 
it  loosened  the  cork,  spilling  the  acid  over  its  neck  and 
shoulders  and  chest. 

Treatment.  Wash  the  skin  with  water;  deluge  it  with 
water;  then  wash  it  in  soapsuds  or  in  water  in  which 
some  cooking  soda  is  dissolved.  After  that  the  burn 
should  be  treated  as  a  third-degree  burn.  Alcohol  is  also 
good  for  «  arbolic-acid  burns  if  it  is  applied  immediately. 


POISONS  — TREATMENT  AND  ANTIDOTES  91 

Carbolic-Acid  Poisoning 

Treatment.  Do  not  wait.  Make  the  person  drink  as 
much  water  as  possible.  Get  some  one  else  to  get  some 
limewater  or  magnesia,  or  take  some  plaster  from  the  wall 
and  dissolve  it  in  water  and  give  it  as  soon  as  possible. 
For  poisoning  with  carbolic  acid  do  not  give  fats  or  oils 
of  any  kind  as  they  help  in  absorbing  this  poison.  Give 
Epsom  salts  for  a  purgative.  White  of  eggs  is  good  for 
the  lining  of  the  stomach. 

Camphor 

A  little  child  I  know  began  chewing  a  camphor  ball, 
but  the  mother  discovered  it  before  enough  was  taken  to 
do  any  harm.  Camphor  balls  are  often  about  the  house, 
and  should  be  guarded  from  little  children. 

Treatment.    Emetic,  coffee. 

Bichloride  Tablets 

Bichloride  tablets  are  very  poisonous  and  should  be 
kept  out  of  reach  of  little  brothers  and  sisters. 
Treatment.    Emetic,  white  of  eggs. 

Blue  Vitriol,  —  Sulphate  of  Copper,  Liquid  used  in 

Batteries 

A  friend  of  mine  knew  a  child  who  was  poisoned  by 
blue  vitriol.    The  child  found  a  battery  which  supplied 


92  EMERGENCIES 

the  electricity  for  the  doorbell.   The  blue  crystals  were 
so  pretty  that  she  took  some  and  ate  them. 
Treat  men  (.    Emetic,  white  of  eggs. 

Lye 

Accidents  like  the  following  are  often  happening. 
A  baby  was  playing  near  by  while  the  mother  was 
washing  the   floor  with  water  and  lye.    The  lye  was  in 

a  bowk  and  when  the  mother's  back  was  turned  the 
baby  grabbed  the  bowl  and  drank  some  of  the  lye.  It 
caused  intense  pain,  but  the  doctor  said  the  child  had 
taken  so  little  that  it  would  live.  He  gave  the  child 
vinegar  diluted  in  water  to  neutralize  the  alkali,  and  then 
some  cream  for  soothing  purposes. 

Treatment.  Dilute  vinegar  or  lemon  juice  in  water. 
Give  the  child  all  he  can  drink. 

I  could  give  a  great  many  eases  like  these  you  have 
just  read.  They  all  show  that  we  must  be  more  careful 
to  guard  the  little  ones  from  danger.  All  poisonous 
things  must  be  kept  out  of  their  reach.  Older  children 
know  the  dangers  of  drinking  fluids  out  of  bottles, 
so  that  very  few  accidents  of  this  kind  happen  to  them. 
I  he  older  children  are  more  likely  to  have  accidents 
like   the   following. 

Marry  Cornell,  seven  years  old,  got  hold  of  a  can  of 
lye  by  mistaking  it  for  condensed  milk.  As  a  result  of 
swallowing  a  teaspoonful  of  it  lie  may  die.    The  boy  had 


POISONS  — TKKATMI  A  I     WD  ANTIDOTES 


93 


been  very  fond  of  condensed  milk  and  was  in  the  habit 
of  taking  a  spoonful  from  a  can  at  every  opportunity. 
He  was  forbidden  to  do  so  by  Ins  mother,  and  last  nighl 
he  sought  to  get  some  without  her  knowing  it.  The 
room  was  dark  and  he  got  the  lye  instead  of  the  milk. 
In  his  haste  to  swallow  it  the  whole  teaspoonful  was  in 
his  stomach  before  he  discovered  his  mistake." 


List  and  Treatment  of   Poisons 


Acids 


J 


1  '<  1 1  SO  N 

Alcohol 

'  Carbolic 
Hydrochloric 
I  Nitric 
[  Sulphuric 
f  Ammonia  1 

Alkalis  \  Lye 

I     J 

I  Potash 

Ammonia 

Arsenic  . 

Bichloride 

Blue  vitriol 

Camphor 

Chloral   . 

Chloroform 

Ether 

Gasoline 

Iodine     . 

Lead  Poison 


Treatment 
Emetic  or  stomach  pump,  coffee 

Emetic,  white  of  eggs,  limewater 


f  Vinegar  and  water,  large  dose  of 
\      oil  or  milk 

See  alkalis 

Emetic,  milk  or  white  of  eggs 

Emetic,  white  of  eggs 

Emetic,  white  of  eggs 

Kinetic,  coffee,  warmth 

Emetic,  coffee,  warmth 

fresh  air,  artificial  respiration 
f  Fresh    air,    prevent    sleep,    cold 
^      water,  emetic 

Emetic 
f  Emetic,  starch  and  water,  white 


I      of  eggs 
Emetic,  Epsom  salts 


94 


EMERGENCIES 


List  and  Treatment  of  Poisons  —  continued 


Poisi  in  Treatment 

Lye See  alkalis 

Emetic,   white   of   eggs,   Epsom 


salts  or  French  turpentine 

Morphine Emetic,  artificial  respiration 

Phosphorus See  matches 

Potash Sec  alkalis 

Rat  Poison See  arsenic 

f  Emetic,    white    of    eggs,    strong 

Strychnine <  .._  .  .         .     . 

tea,  artificial  respiration 

Soothing  sirup See  morphine 

Sulphate  of  copper See  blue  vitriol 

Tobacco Coffee,  keep  the  patient  quiet 

Turpentine Emetic,  prevent  sleep 

Whisky Emetic  or  stomach  pump,  coffee 


CHAPTER   XIX 

ALCOHOL   A   POISON 

It  is  not  often  that  a  child  is  willing  to  swallow- 
enough  whisky  to  cause  death.  If  he  had  to  take  whisk)' 
for  a  medicine,  he  certainly  would  consider  it  very  bad- 
tasting  stuff;  but  children  will  sometimes  do  strange 
things  "just  for  fun."  Here  is  an  instance.  William 
Morley  found  a  pint  of  whisky  in  his  father's  barn  and 
"dared  "  his  sister,  si*  years  old,  to  take  some  of  it.  She 
took  one  swallow  and  it  made  her  choke.  William  de- 
clared that  he  could  take  it,  and  he  drank  it  all.  As  a 
result  he  went  into  convulsions  and  died  soon  after. 

A  nurse  told  me  of  another  case  where  a  boy  wanted 
to  see  for  himself  how  whisky  made  one  feel.  -He  had 
seen  his  father  drink  it  and  was  curious  to  make  an 
experiment.  It  made  him  unconscious  and  he  died 
from  the  effects  of  it. 

Fortunately,  such  accidents  are  not  very  common. 
Far  more  often  alcohol  causes  harm  to  children  through 
the  fact  that  some  grown  person  is  under  its  influence. 
Intoxicated  persons  often  bring  danger  to  others,  espe- 
cially to  children,  because  they  do  not  know  what  they 
are  doing.   I  have  seen  a  whole  boat  load  of  people,  some 

95 


96 


EMERGENCIES 


of  them  children,  in  danger  because  of  the  recklessness 
of  a  drunken  man.  A  nurse  told  me  of  a  case  in  the 
hospital.  A  chauffeur  had  been  seriously  injured  be] 
cause   he  had   taken   some  whisky,  and   it  made  him   see 


A  Man  who  drinks  is  noi  allowed  i"  be   \\   Engineer 

double.    He  had  crashed  into  a  telegraph  pole  before  he 
knew  what  he  was  doing. 

Accidents  like  the  following  are  in  the  papers  almost 
every  day:  "A  chauffeur  has  been  imprisoned  for  six 
months  for  reckless  driving  of  an  automobile,  and  fined  a 
hundred  dollars  for  being  intoxicated.  I  le  did  not  know 
what  happened  until  his  automobile  crashed  into  a  tree." 
\  friend  of  mini-  heard  two  men  who  were  sitting 
near  her  on  a  train  conversing.    One  said   to  the  other. 


\I,<<  >HOL  A    I'()IS(  ).\ 


97 


"I  ha'd  a  beautiful  ride  into  town  in  Mr.  A.'s  auto  this 
morning.  He  invited  me  to  go  hack  with  him  this  after- 
noon, but  I  preferred  to  take  the  train.  He  drank  so 
much  during  the  day  that  I  was  afraid  to  go  back 
with  him,  and  I  keep  wondering  if  he  lias  not  run  over 
some  one." 

Think  of  the  harm  that  may  come  to  little  children  on 
the  street  where  grown-up  persons  in  this  condition  are 
in  charge  of  vehicles.  Rail- 
road  and  trolley  companies 
are  very  particular,  before 
they  give  employment  to 
any  man,  to  make  sure  that 
he  does  not  use  alcoholic 
liquors. 

You  read  in  Good Ilea  It Ji 
about  the  effect  of  alcohol 
on  the  dogs  Bum  and  Tipsy. 
You  remember  how  it  poisoned  them  to  such  an  extent 
that  they  were  not  like  their  brother  and  sister,  Nig 
and  Topsy.  They  died  before  Nig  and  Topsy,  and  of  all 
their  puppies,  only  four  grew  up;  while  Nig  and  ropsy 
when  they  died  left  forty-one  grown-up  puppies. 

Here  is  a  picture  of  two  chickens  from  the  same 
brood.  The  little  one  was  given  small  doses  of  alcohol 
every  day.  Its  growth  was  stunted,  as  you  see.  It  is  not 
half  so  large  as  the  one  that  had  no  alcohol. 


Chickens  from   i  he  s  vme  Brood 

The  smaller  was  given  small  closes  of 
alcohol 


lop  Water        Alcohol  2°jQ 
6  Days 


y**».  i-'V   £C-     • 


»•»»..     .-1    . 


Frogs'  Eggs  after  Six   Days 

Notice  how  many  more  tadpoles  hatched  in  the  water  in  which 
there  was  no  alcohol 


Tap  Water      Alcohol  2% 
14  th  Day 


'V 


Tadpoles  Fourteen  Days  Old 

Si  e  how  much  larger  the  tadpoles  arc  that  lived  in  water  free 
from  alcohol 


ALCOHOL  A    POISON 


99 


An  interesting  alcohol  experiment  was  made  with 
frogs'  eggs.  Yon  probably  have  all  seen  frogs'  eggs,  and 
have  watched  the  tadpole  grow  from  day  to  daw  An 
English  scientist  took  a  certain  number  of  these  eggs 
and  put  one  half  of  them  into  a  bowl  of  water  from  the 
faucet ;    the  other  half  he   put   into  a  bowl   of  water  to 


Tap  Water        Alcohol  2 
6  Weeks 


n 


Tadpoles  Six  Weeks  Old 

It  is  the  same  story ;  the  tadpoles  that  did  not  have  alcohol  grew 
larger  than  those  that  had  it 

which  a  little  alcohol  had  been  added  (ten  drops  of 
alcohol  to  one  ounce  of  water).  He  kept  these  two  bowls 
with  their  eggs  side  by  side  and  watched  the  tadpoles 
develop  from  day  to  day,  taking  pictures  of  them  from 
time  to  time. 

In  the  first  picture,  taken  on  the  sixth  day,  you  can 
see  with  your  naked  eye  how  much  larger  the-  pure- 
water  tadpoles  are  than  those  in  the  water  and  alcohol. 


IOO  EMERGENCIES 

If  you  look  at  the  picture  with  a  magnifying  glass,  the 
difference  will  be  much  clearer.  The  scientist  found  that 
many  of  the  eggs  in  the  alcohol  and  water  failed  to 
develop.  Among  those  that  did  develop  many  were 
"undersized  and  feeble."  The  next  picture  was  taken 
on  the  fourteenth  day.  You  can  see  the  difference  still 
more  clearly  this  time.  Each  picture  tells  the  same  story, 
—  alcohol  hinders  the  growth  of  a  tadpole.1 

In  these  three  cases  of  the  dogs,  the  chickens,  and 
the  tadpoles  we  have  seen  proofs  of  the  way  in  which 
alcohol  stunts  the  growth  of  young  animals. 

Alcohol  cannot  hinder  the  growth  of  an  animal  or 
pei-son  already  grown,  but  it  may  do  harm  which  we 
cannot  see  and  which  may  be  even  more  serious. 

1  These  experiments  with  the  chickens  and  tadpoles  were  described  by  William 
M(  Adam  Eccles.  M.  S..  F.  R.  C.  S.,  of  England,  in  a  paper  presented  to  a  society 
..I  which  Dr.  William  Osier  of  Oxford  is  the  president. 


CHAPTER   XX 
1  DOG   BITES 

During  the  month  of  June,  1908,  I  received  three  hun- 
dred and  thirty-two  clippings  from  the  newspapers,  telling 
about  people  who  were  bitten  during  that  month  by  dogs. 
Of  these,  two  hundred  and  nineteen  were  boys,  one  hun- 
dred were  girls,  and  thirteen  were  grown  people.  Why 
were  there  over  twice  as  many  boys  bitten  as  girls  ?  .And 
why  so  few  grown  people  ?  Perhaps  the  two  notices  I 
am  going  to  quote  will  suggest  an  answer. 

"  George  Hanes  was  the  victim  of  an  enraged  clog  yes- 
terday, and  as  a  result  is  suffering  from  a  number  of  bad 
bites.  The  boy  was  walking  along  the  street  and  in  pass- 
ing a  butchers  wagon  kicked  at  a  dog  belonging  to  the 
butcher.  The  dog  was  eating  a  bone  and  resented  the 
blow.  He  attacked  the  boy,  and  before  he  could  be 
dragged  away,  the  dog  had  torn  his  hands  and  face 
badly.    The  wounds  were  cauterized." 

"  Walter  Warren  was  sitting  on  a  stoop  playing  with  a 
big  mongrel  dog,  when  something  the  boy  did  angered 
the  animal  and  it  attacked  him.  The  dog  managed  to 
reach  his  face  and  buried  its  fangs  in  his  right  cheek. 
The  other  children  fled  screaming  with  terror.    The  cry 


lQ2  EMERGENCIES 

of  'mad  dog'  was  soon  raised  and  there  was  much  excite- 
ment.   Several  men  came  to  the  boy's  rescue.     He  was 

taken  to  a  hospital  and  there  his  wounds  were  cauterized 
and  dressed." 

Most  of  the  boys  bitten  were  between  seven  and  eleven 
years  old.  Have  you  not  noticed  that  boys  of  about  that 
age  like  to  see  what  a  dog  will  do?  Hoys  love  dogs,  and 
they  do  not  realize  the  danger  there  is  in  meddling  with 
a  strange  dog.  Most  girls  are  more  cautious  than  their 
brothers.  Older  people  know  better  and  have  learned  to 
leave  dogs  alone. 

The  fact  is  that  boys  bother  dogs  more  than  girls  and 
grown-up  people  do.  Biting  is  a  dog's  only  means  of 
self-defense.    He  must  bite  to  protect  himself. 

The  newspapers  call  most  of  these  dogs  that  bite  chil- 
dren "mad,"  but  this  is  not  true.  Dogs  are  children's 
playmates.  They  play  ball,  run,  jump,  and  are  happy  or 
disappointed,  as  the  case  may  be.  They  resent  harsh 
treatment  just  as  human  beings  do.  It  is  just  as  much 
the  dog's  nature  to  bite  if  it  is  tormented  as  it  is  a  boy's 
nature  to  fight  if  he  is  ill-used. 

"  Mad"  dogs  are  very  uncommon.  Many  good  people 
believe  that  there  are  none  and  that  there  is  no  such  dis- 
ease as  rabies,  or  hydrophobia.  Yet  scientific  men  tell 
us  that  there-  is,  and  every  one  dreads  it  so  much  that 
whenever  a  dog  begins  to  act  queerly,  people  say  im- 
mediately  that  it  is  mad. 


DOC    BITES 


h  ) 


The  agents  of  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty 
to  Animals  say  that  rabies  is  so  rare  that  they  have  no 
fear  of  it.  They  probably  handle  more  dogs  than  any 
other  group  of  people  in  the  world.    Agents  have  been 


A    I). 


A M BULANCE 


bitten  more  than  fifteen  thousand  times  by  dogs,  yet 
never  has  a  case  of  hydrophobia  developed  from  these 
bites.  This  may  be  due  in  large  degree  to  the  fact  that 
they  know  at  sight  a  rabid  dog  from  other  dogs.  It  is 
their  business  to  take  care  of  dogs.  Notice  the  picture 
of  a  dog  ambulance. 


IQ4  EMERGENCIES 

A  mad  clog  never  yelps  or  barks.  If  he  makes  any 
sound  it  is  a  howl,  said  to  be  "  impossfble  to  describe, 
but  never  forgotten  when  once  heard."  A  mad  dog  never 
froths  at  the  mouth.  A  brown,  ropy  mucus  hangs  from 
his  mouth,  which  lie  often  tries  to  paw  off  with  his  fore- 
legs. A  mad  clog  never  runs  about  much.  He  is  usually 
alone  and  jogs  along  slowly  from  place  to  place,  paying 
no  attention  to  things  unless  they  come  in  his  way.  He 
is  supposed  to  dread  water,  but  he  does  not.  He  will 
plunge  his  head  into  it  and  will  cross  streams  if  they  lie 
across  his  path.  In  the  last  stages  of  the  disease  he  can't 
swallow  water,  and  it  is  difficult  for  him  even  to  lap  it. 

The  disposition  of  a  clog  often  changes  if  he  is  mad. 
A  frisky  dog  is  apt  to  become  quiet,  and  the  quiet  dog  is 
apt  to  become  frisky.  There  are  no  more  cases  of  rabies 
in  tlie  summer  time  than  in  winter.  There  is  no  "mad- 
dog  "  season  to  fear. 

We  can  stop  having  rabies  or  mad  dogs  in  our  country 
in  a  short  time  if  we  are  willing  to  do  as  the)'  have  done 
in  a  number  of  Kuropean  countries.  The)-  have  had  no 
rabies  in  England  for  nine  years.  The  authorities  there 
issued  an  order  that  all  clogs  should  be  muzzled  when  let 
out  of  doors.  Any  dogs  found  unmuzzled,  unless  held 
by  a  leash,  were  captured  and  the  owners  were  fined;  or 
if  the  owners  could  not  be  found,  the  dogs  were  killed. 
In  a  short  time  they  had  no  rabies.  (Stud)'  the  following 
diagram.) 


887     888    1889    1890    1891     1892    1893    1894    1895    1896    1897    1898    1899    1900 


Note  how  Rabies  decreased  when-  the  Docs  were  muzzled    \\i> 
increased  when  they  were  not 


[o6  EMERGENCIES 

You  can  sec  that  in  1889  England  had  312  cases  of 
rabies.     In  this  year  an  order  to  muzzle  the  dogs  was 

made.  The  disease  steadily  decreased,  until  in  1S92 
(three  years  later)  there  were  only  38  cases.  The  author- 
ities thought  that  they  had  the  disease  under  control 
and  allowed  the  dogs  their  freedom  again.  Hut  rabies 
was  nut  entirely  removed,  and  from  the  38  cases 'left,  the 
disease  rapidly  increased,  until  in  1S95  —  in  only  three 
years'  time- — there  were  672  cases.  Again  the  author- 
ities became  alarmed  and  again  issued  the  order  to  have 
all  the  dogs  muzzled,  with  the  result  that  in  1900  there 
were  no  more  cases.     Rabies  was  stamped  out  of  England. 

We  need  to  do  something.  In  190S  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture  made  a  study  of  this  subject; 
it  was  discovered  that  the  disease  is  increasing  here  in 
America.  Of  all  infectious  diseases  this  is  the  easiest 
to  -top. 

We  do  not  like  to  see  dogs  muzzled.  It  seems  unkind. 
Xo  one  person  hx'>  mad  clogs  often  enough  to  make  it 
seem  important  to  protect  ourselves  so  strictly  against 
them.  I  have  never  seen  one,  and  I  doubt  if  many  who 
read  this  book  have.  Hut  if  we  think  about  it  with  the 
future  in  mind,  muzzling  our  dogs  will  no  longer  seem 
an  act  of  unkindness.  In  three  years'  time  the  disease 
could  be  stopped,  and  all  dog  suffering  and  human  suffer- 
ing from  thi-  cause  would  cease.  Also  an  end  would  be 
put   to   the   feai"  of    dogs,   which    is   often   so  great   as   to 


Doc    BITES  107 

cause  death.  The  dog  only  needs  to  be  muzzled  when 
in  public  places  or  running  at  large.  The  muzzle  is  a 
kindness  in   the   long   run. 

In  Australia  they  have  never  had  a  ease  of  rabies,  and 
they  do  not  intend  to  have  it.  They  have  a  law  abso- 
lutely forbidding  the  taking  of  dogs  into  the  country. 

If  any  one  is  bitten  by  a  dog,  the  wound  should  be 
thoroughly  cleaned  with  warm  water,  and  the  blood 
squeezed  and  allowed  to  flow.  Then  it  should  be  treated 
as  any  other  wound,  with  an  antiseptic  dressing. 

If  the  dog  was  known  to  be  mad,  the  person  should 
be  taken  to  one  of  the  Pasteur  Institutes  and  receive 
treatment.  There  are  institutes  in  New  York,  Chicago, 
Baltimore,  Richmond,  Atlanta,  Ann  Arbor,  St.  Paul,  New 
Orleans,  St.  Louis,  and  Houston. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

MIS( ' ELLANEOUS  A(  VII  >ENTS 

Choking 

In  the  throat  there  arc  two  openings,  one  into  the 
lungs  and  the  other  into  the  stomach.  The  opening  into 
the  lungs  is  called  the  larynx ;  it  is  on  the  upper  end  of 
the  windpipe.  The  opening  into  the  stomach  is  called 
the  pharynx;  it  is  on  the  upper  end  of  the  esophagus. 
It  is  more  serious  to  get  an  obstruction  in  the  larynx 
than  in  the  pharynx.  When  the  larynx  is  stopped  up 
breathing  stops,  for  the  air  cannot  get  into  the  lungs. 
We  can  live  far  longer  without  food  in  our  stomachs 
than  we  can  without  air  in  our  lungs.  So  the  seriousness 
of  choking  depends  on  whether  the  trouble  is  in  the 
larynx  or  the  pharynx. 

The  act  of  coughing  forces  a  blast  of  air  from  the 
lungs.  If  something  has  gotten  into  the  windpipe  that 
should  not  be  there,  a  person  coughs.  Coughing  is 
nature's  way  of  getting  rid  of  whatever  is  lodged  in  the 
windpipe.  But  sometimes  one  coughs  even  when  the 
obstruction  is  in  the  opening  to  the  stomach,  not  in 
the  larynx.  This  is  because  the  whole  throat  is  irritated. 
The  pressure  against  the  windpipe,  even  if  the  object 

ioS 


MISCELLANEOUS  ACCIDENTS  109 

itself  is  in  the  pharynx,  may  cause  coughing.  But  when 
there  is  no  coughing  we  can  be  certain  that  the  trouble- 
some tiling  is  in  the  opening  to  the  stomach. 

There  is  nothing  better  to  do  than  to  slap  the  person 
on  the  back  between  the  shoulders.  While  this  treat- 
ment is  in  progress,  he  should  be  holding  his  body  bent 
forward  over  a  chair.  If  it  is  a  very  young  child  who  is 
choking,  hold  it  with  its  stomach  on  your  knee,  and  its 
head  bent  downward,  while  you  slap  its  back  gently. 
If  this  is  not  successful,  putting  one's  finger  down  the 
throat  may  cause  the  sudden  effort  to  vomit,  and  this 
may  force  out  the  obstruction. 

If  a  coin  or  a  marble  or  a  nail  or  a  button  is  swallowed, 
it  may  cause  more  trouble  to  try  to  get  it  out  than  to 
let  it  go -on  through  the  body.  These  things  seldom  do 
harm.  In  this  case  it  is  well  to  eat  a  lot  of  bread  or  pota- 
toes, which  will  help  to  carry  the  object  along  and  keep 
it  from  doing  any  injury  on  its  way  through  the  body. 

Children  should  be  taught  never  to  hold  small  objects 
in  their  mouths  while  at  play.  It  is  not  safe.  I  have 
found  in  my  clippings  quite  a  number  of  accidents  to 
children  which  came  about  in  this  way.  One  happened 
to  a  boy  who  had  a  screw  in  his  mouth  while  he  was 
running  to  meet  his  father.  The  screw  slipped  down 
his  throat  and  stopped  up  the  windpipe.  The  father  ran 
to  the  hospital  with  him,  but  before  the  doctors  could 
get  the  screw  out,  he  had  died. 


no  I  MERGENCIES 

Another  clipping-  was  about  a  little  girl  named  Ruth 
Tabor.  She  laughed  when  she  had  a  pin  in  her  mouth. 
It  went  into  her  windpipe,  but  was  not  large  enough  to 
stop  her  breathing.  I  ler  parents  took  her  to  the  hospital 
and  had  it  taken  out. 

One  child  was  choked  to  death  by  a  large  bean  that 
got  into  her  windpipe.  A  grain  of  corn  catised  the 
death  of  another.  A  curious  accident  happened  to  a 
boy  named  Frank  Goldman.  He  swallowed  a  small, 
round  whistle.  It  stopped  in  the  windpipe  and  every 
time  he  breathed,  the  whistle  blew.  He  was  taken  to 
the  hospital,  and  the  doctors  finally  gave  him  ether 
and  got   it   out. 

Cram  i 's 

Cramps  seize  one  most  frequently  when  in  the  water. 
Main'  deaths  from  drowning  are  due  to  cramps.  Even 
good  swimmers  are  sometimes  unable  to  escape  them. 
If  you  have  ever  had  cramps,  never  swim  far  from  shore 
or  out  of  reach  of  prompt  help  of  some  kind.  It  is  not 
safe.  No  mattei"  how  good  a  swimmer  you  are,  remember 
that  being  in  the  water  a  long  time  increases  the  liability 
of  having  cramps. 

People  in  general  are  learning  to  be  more  careful 
about  running  risks  of  this  kind.  It  is  being  recognized 
as  foolhardy  to  go  long  distances  from  shore  without 
having  some  one  near  bv  with  a  boat.     It  is  more  and 


MISCELLANE<  US  ACCIDENTS  1  i  i 

more  the  custom  for  boys  and  girls  and  even  grown-up 
people  when  taking  long-distance  swimming  tests  to 
have  a  boat  alongside   for  each   swimmer. 

A  cram})  in  the  leg  is  about  as  painful  as  anything  of 
which  I  know.  The  muscle  becomes  contracted  and 
makes  a  bunch  or  a  knot.  It  makes  one  helpless  and 
faint.  Brisk  rubbing  will  take  the  cram])  out  better  than 
anything  else.  When  cramps  come  in  the  leg  a  good 
remedy  is  to  stretch  the  heel  out  and  away  as  far  as 
possible.  A  friend  who  is  subject  to  cramps  has  found 
this  method  to  be  always  successful.  I  have  had  muscles 
sore  for  days  after  having  a  cramp. 

Fainting 

In  many  schools  there  are  girls  who  are  known  to 
faint  readily.  Fainting  can  easily  become  a  habit.  In 
one  of  the  New  York  schools  there  was  a  girl  who 
fainted  on  the  least  provocation.  The  teacher  talked 
about  the  case  with  the  principal  of  the  school,  who  re- 
quested to  be  called  the  next  time  the  girl  fainted.  It 
was  not  long  before  she  was  summoned  to  the  class  room, 
and,  after  doing  everything  possible  to  restore  the  girl. 
informed  her  that  if  it  happened  again,  she  would  have 
to  be  expelled,  that  her  fainting  caused  too  much  dis- 
turbance among  the  children.  The  result  was  that  the 
girl  never  fainted  again  and  there  has  not  been  a  case  of 
fainting   in   that   school   of    nine   hundred    girls   for  over 


{I2  EMERGENCIES 

two  years.  This  is  because  the  principal  of  this  school 
has  taught  the  girls  that  fainting  can  usually  be  con- 
trolled. This  is  not  always  the  case.  A  very  sudden 
fright  or  injury  will  sometimes  take  a  person  unawares 
and  cause  fainting. 

When  this  happens  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  place  the 
person  on  the  floor  or  on  a  couch.  There  is  not  suffi- 
cient circulation  of  blood  in  the  head,  and  it  is  necessary 
to  send  the  flow  in  that  direction  once  more.  The  reclin- 
ing position  is  the  first  help.  A  further  help  is  to  raise 
the  feet  somewhat  by  putting  something  under  them,  or 
to  lower  the  head  by  letting  it  hang  over  the  cdi^c  of 
the  couch.  Then  loosen  any  tight  clothing  and  wipe  the 
face  with  a  cloth  wet  in  cold  water.  A  whiff  of  smelling 
salts,  eau  de  Cologne,  ammonia,  or  even  vinegar,  if  one 
has  nothing  better,  will  often  give  stimulus  enough  to 
bring  back  consciousness.  These  should  never  be  given 
directly  from  the  bottle.  A  little  on  a  handkerchief  is 
sufficient. 

A  faint  ordinarily  does  not  last  long,  and  the  person 
will  revive  before  any  of  the  steps  we  have  mentioned 
are  taken.  Hut  sometimes  consciousness  does  not  return 
in  spite  of  all  these  remedies.  This  probably  means 
something  more  serious  than  a  faint,  and  the  doctor 
should   be  called. 

If  you  ever  suspect  that  you  are  going  to  faint,  a  good 
plan  is  to  drop  the  head  down  as  low  as  possible  between 


MISCELLANEOUS  ACCIDENTS  i  i  3 

the  knees.  This  assists  the  blood  to  flow  into  the  head. 
If  one  is  in  church  or  any  public  gathering,  dropping 
the  head  in  this  way  will  often  "bring  one  to"  suffi- 
ciently so  that  one  may  walk  quietly  out  without  caus- 
ing  a  commotion. 

Fresh  air  is  often  all  that  is  needed  to  bring  one  to, 
and  for  this  reason  people  should  not  crowd  around  a 
person  who  has  fainted.  Bad  air  will  sometimes  cause 
one  to  faint. 

Fits 

A  person  having  a  fit  is  treated  the  same  as  one 
who  has  fainted,  with  the  addition  of  protecting  the  per- 
son against  injury.  Put  a  rubber  eraser  or  a  cork  or  a 
piece  of  wood  between  the  teeth,  first  securing  the  object 
with  a  string  in  case  it  should  drop  into  the  patient's 
throat.  This  is  to  keep  the  tongue  from  being  bitten. 
A  handkerchief  or  towel  will  serve  the  same  purpose. 
Fits  in  children  are  usually  clue  to  some  trouble  in  the 
stomach  or  bowels.  Worms  cause  them  sometimes.  An 
emetic  and  a  cathartic  are  good  remedies. 

Hiccoughs 

The  next  time  you  have  the  hiccoughs  try  this  treat- 
ment. Stop  up  both  ears  with  a  finger  of  each  hand  and 
drink  slowly  some  water  from  a  cup  held  by  some  one 
else.    If  this  is  not  effective,  try  making  yourself  sneeze 


ii4 


EMERGENCIES 


b)  scattering  a  few  grains  of  pepper  in  the  air.  A  woman 
in  France  once  bad  the  hiccoughs  for  four  days.  She 
was  asked  to  show  her  tongue,  and  it  was  noticed  that 
the  hiccoughing  immediately  stopped. 

Pushing  the  tongue  out  firmly  and  holding  it  for  a 
minute  or  two  lias  often  proved  successful.  Taking  a 
spoonful  of  dry  sugar  into  the  mouth  or  chewing  a  crust 
or  a  cracker  will  often  stop  them.  A  friend  has  always 
been  able  to  stop  them  by  saving  slowly  and  emphatically 
the  word  fagot  several  times. 

Plato,  one  of  the  Greek  philosophers,  tells  in  his  writ- 
ings how  a  physician  told  Aristophanes,  who  had  the 
hiccoughs  from  eating  too  much,  either  to  hold  his  breath 
or  to  gargle  his  throat  with  a  little  water,  and  then  he 
said  if  these  were  unsuccessful  to  "  tickle  your  nose  with 
something  and  sneeze  ;  and  if  you  sneeze  once  or  twice 
even  the  most  violent  hiccough  is  sure  to  go."  Aristoph- 
anes must  have  had  a  severe  attack,  for  he  had  to  resort 
to  sneezing  to  stop  it. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

ACCIDENTS    FROM    HEAT   AND   (OLD 

Sunstroke  and  Heat  Prostration 

A  friend  of  mine  used  always  to  surprise  me  by  taking 
an  umbrella  with  him  even  when  there  was  not  a  cloud  in 

the  sky,  but  I  soon  understood  why  he  did  this.  When 
he  was  a  boy  he  had  a  sunstroke,  and  ever  since  that  time 
he  has  had  to  be  careful.  His  head  is  very  sensitive  to 
the  rays  of  the  sun,  and  even  in  winter  time  he  lias  to 
protect  it  from  the  direct  rays.  In  summer  when  he  is 
out  of  the  city  and  does  not  want  to  carry  an  umbrella, 
he  wears  a  large  pitch  hat,  such  as  the  English  soldiers 
wear  in  India  to  protect  themselves  from  the  tropical  sun. 
Strange  as  this  may  seem,  sunstroke  is  more  common 
in  our  climate  than  in  the  tropics.  This  is  because  the 
people  living  in  the  constant  heat  of  the  tropics  have 
learned  to  protect  themselves  better  than  we.  With 
us,  when  a  very  hot  day  comes  in  midsummer,  people 
who  are  not  accustomed  to  protect  themselves  run  risks 
that  people  living  in  a  tropical  climate  would  not  think 
of  running.  And  so  in  the  papers  we  read  of  a  great 
number  of  persons   who   have   had    sunstrokes   or   heal 

prostrations. 

115 


n6  EMERGENCIES 

There  are  several  ways  of  protecting  oneself.  White 
cloth  or  white  material  of  any  kind  reflects  the  sun's  rays 

better  than  black  cloth  or  dark-colored  material.  Test 
this  sometime  by  putting  pieces  of  black  and  white  cloth 
over  some  snow  in  the  sunshine.  You  will  soon  see  which 
color  throws  back  the  sun's  heat  and  which  absorbs  it. 
There  is  a  good  reason  for  our  preferring-  light-colored 
clothes  in  the  summer  time.  They  not  only  look  cooler, 
they  are  cooler. 

It  seems  strange  that  woolen  shirts  are  better  than 
cotton  for  any  oik-  working  in  the  heat.  But  it  is  a  fact. 
Air  passes  through  wool  much  more  readily  than  through 
cotton.  Air  coming  in  contact  with  the  moist  >kin  tends 
n>  rool  the  body  by  the  process  of  evaporation.  You 
know  how  a  jug  of  water  can  be  cooled  in  the  summer 
time  by  hanging  it.  wrapped  in  a  wet  towel,  where  the 
wind  will  blow  on  it.  So  long  as  the  towel  is  kept  wet, 
the  cooling  process,  due  to  evaporation,  continues.  Sweat 
keeps  the  bod}'  moist;  air  passing  over  the  skin  causes 
the  sweat  to  evaporate,  and  this  cools  the  body.  The 
principle,  as  you  see,  is  the  same  as  in  the  case  of  the 
cooling  jug.  In  summer  we  need  to  drink  more  water 
than  in  winter,  because  we  sweat  or  perspire  more. 

Remember  that  when  a  person  has  once  had  a  sun- 
stroke, it  will  always  be  necessary  to  be  careful  afterwards* 
1  '  is  much  more  susceptible  to  it  a  second  time.  It  is 
better  to  be  a  little  careful  and  so  avoid  the  first  time. 


127  J-1J05  21-318.  '08.  25,000  (P) 

WSEND  AT  ONCE  FOR  AN  AMBULANCE  AND  THE  NEAREST  PHYSICIAN     -.„ 


DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH, 

THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK. 


Sunstroke  and  Heat  Prostration. 

CAUSE. 

Sunstroke  is  caused  primarily  by  excessive  heat.  The  constant  drinking  of 
alcohol,  or  even  a  single  excess,  is  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  contributing  causes. 
Other  contributing  or  predisposing  causes  are  over-exertion  or  exhaustion,  excite- 
ment, loss  of  sleep,  worry,  lack  of  ventilation  of  sleeping  or  living  rooms,  over- 
eating or  the  eating  of  indigestible  foods.  It  is  more  apt  to  occur  among  those 
whose  work  exposes  them  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  and  especially  between  the 
hours  of  11  A.  M.  and  4  P.  M. 

PREVENTION. 

Avoid,  if  possible,  prolonged  exposure  to  the  sun's  rays.  On  hot  days  wear 
thin  clothing.  If  obliged  to  work  in  the  sun,  wear  a  light  colored,  well-ventilated 
hat,  with  at  least  an  inch  of  space  between  the  top  of  the  head  and  top  of  hat. 
Wet  the  hair  at  frequent  intervals  with  cold  water.  Have  as  much  air  as  possible 
in  sleeping  rooms.  Take  baths  often,  at  least  once  daily.  Drink  considerable 
quantities  of  cool  water  (not  ice  water),  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  perspiration'. 
Free  perspiration  prevents  the  body  from  becoming  overheated. 

If  a  feeling  of  dizziness,  headache,  nausea,  or  exhaustion  occurs,  lie  down  in 
a  shady  place,  and  apply  cold  water  to  head,  face  and  neck. 

TREATMENT. 

IF  SUNSTROKE,  THE  SKIN  WILL  BE  HOT  AND  DRY.  Remove  the 
patient  to  the  nearest  shade.  Place  in  a  sitting  position  against  a  tree,  wall,  or 
anything  that  will  support  the  back ;  loosen  collar,  necktie,  and  all  tight  clothing. 
Pour  cold  water  over  the  head  and  face,  and  if  very  hot,  rub  body  with  pieces  of 
ice.  If  the  patient  is  able  to  swallow,  give  cool  drinks  of  water.  Do  not  give 
alcoholic  stimulants. 

IF  PROSTRATED  BY  EXHAUSTION  AND  EXCESSIVE  HEAT,  THE 
PERSON  WILL  BE  PALE  AND  FAINT.  Remove  to  the  nearest  shade,  place 
on  the  back  with  head  on  a  level  with  the  body.  Loosen  all  tight  clothing.  Rub 
the  hands  and  feet  until  circulation  is  restored.  Bathe  face  and  body  with  warm 
water,  and  apply  warm  cloths  to  the  latter.  Give  hot  drinks,  tea,  coffee,  milk 
or  water. 

By  Order  of  the  Board, 

THOMAS   DARLINGTON,  M.  D., 
EUGENE  W.  SCHEFFER,  President. 

Secretary- 


I  18  EMERGENCIES 

Sunstroke  is  due  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  but 
heat  prostration  may  be  due  to  other  causes.  It  may 
come  on  at  night  in  close  rooms.  Men  working  in 
engine   rooms  are  sometimes  overcome. 

There  is  a  decided  difference  in  the  treatment  of  the 
two.  In  sunstroke  the  temperature  is  above  the  normal, 
and  the  skin  is  hot  to  the  touch  ;  whereas  in  heat  pros- 
tration it  is  apt  to  be  cool,  or  even  below  the  normal. 

The  Department  of  Health  of  New  York  City  issues 
every  year  a  bulletin  about  sunstroke  and  heat  prostra- 
tion, which  is  distributed  freely.  This  bulletin  gives  the 
cause,  the  prevention,  and  the  treatment  of  both  sunstroke 
and  heat  prostration.  It  deserves  careful  reading  (see 
bulletin  on  preceding  page). 

Frost  Bites 

A  girl  I  knew  fell  into  a  lake  when  she  was  skating. 
It  was  a  bitter-cold,  wind)-  day,  and  when  she  was  brought 
home  her  clothes  were  frozen  on  her.  Her  mother  was 
an  intelligent  woman,  but  she  was  so  excited  that  she 
lost  her  head.  She  took  off  the  frozen  garments  and  put 
her  daughter  into  a  tub  of  warm  water.  The  result  was 
that  the  girl  suffered  intense  pain  for  hours.  This  mother 
quickly  recognized  the  mistake,  but  it  was  too  late  to 
set  matters  right  then.  What  she  should  have  done  was 
to  have  gently  rubbed  her  daughter  with  a  woolen  cloth 
wet  in  ice  water,  or  with  a  handful  of  snow,  until  she  was 


ACCIDENTS   I  ROM    HEAT  AND  COLD  119 

warm  again.  You  know  how  your  fingers  ache  when  you 
come  in  from  the  cold  and  warm  them  too  quickly.     It 

worked  the  same  way  with  this  girl,  except  that  instead 
of  only  her  finger  tips  aching,  her  whole  body  ached. 
One  should  be  careful  in  rubbing  to  do  it  gently.  The 
skin  is  easily  rubbed  off  when  it  is  frozen.  If  the  skin 
becomes  broken  from  rubbing,  the  wound  should  be 
treated  as  a  "  third-degree  "  burn  with  carron  oil. 

Chilijlains 

Many  people  suffer  with  chilblains  during  the  winter 
time. 

Chilblains  are  due  to  poor  circulation  of  blood  in  the 
feet,  and  poor  circulation  is  very  often  due  to  tight  shoes. 
Wearing  one  pair  of  tight  shoes  during  a  winter  may 
start  a  trouble  with  the  feet  which  will  last  for  years. 
After  you  have  once  had  chilblains,  you  are  likely  to  be 
troubled  with  them  year  after  year. 

Going  about  with  wet  feet,  as  boys  and  girls  are  so  apt 
to  do  when  skating  and  sliding  time  comes,  is  very  bad 
for  the  feet.  The  stockings  should  be  changed  whenever 
the  feet  get  damp.  This  precaution  would  greatly  lessen 
the  aches  from  chilblains.  To  get  rid  of  chilblains  it  is 
first  of  all  necessary  to  improve  the  circulation  of  blood 
in  the  feet.  Other  helps  are  to  rub  the  feet  with  oint- 
ment, to  wear  loose,  comfortable  shoes,  and  to  change 
the  stockings  daily. 


CHAPTKR   XXIII 


DROWNING 


This  is  a  picture  of  Stanley  McLaughlin,  a  boy  who 
saved  three  lives  within  one  year.    Three  tilings  enabled 

him  to  do  this:  first,  he 
could  swim;  second,  he 
could  dive ;  third,  he  had 
courage  and  presence  of 
mind. 

It  is  worth  while  to  learn 
to  swim.  Besides  being  use- 
ful it  is,  as  you  know,  one 
of  the  most  delightful  of 
outdoor  sports.  There  are 
schools  in  this  country  and 
in  Europe  where  a  boy  or  a 
girl  cannot  get  a  diploma  of 
graduation  until  swimming 
has  been  mastered. 

It  is  hardly  worth  while 
for  a  child  to  try  to  learn  to 
swim  before  the  age  of  eight  or  nine  years,  for  up  to  that 
period  the  head  is  too  large  in   proportion  to  the  resl 


Stanley    McLai  ghlin,  \\  ho  saved 

i  in.  i.i\  es  hi   Three  l!i>vs 


JROWNING 


I  2  I 


of  the  body.  He  could  learn  when  younger,  bul  it  would 
take  a  long  time  and  he  would  need  a  teacher.  When  a 
child  is  eight  or  nine  years  of  age  he  learns  very  quickly 
and  does  not  need  assistance,    lie  simply  watches  other 

people, and  the  desire  to  learn 
is  so  strong  at  that  age  that 
almost  before  he  knows  it 
he  can  swim.  Some  things 
which  we  learn  we  are  apt 
to  forget,  but  when  we  have 
once  learned  to  swim,  the 
knowledge  is  ours  for  life. 
It  is  never  forgotten.  If  a 
person  can  swim,  he  is  not 
so  likely  to  lose  his  head  in 
case  of  accident  in  the  water. 
The  girl  in  this  picture 
who  is  climbing  up  to  her 
house  in  the  tree  was  twelve 
years  old,  when  one  day  her    The  Girl  who  saved  ink  Littli 

,.       ,  ,  ,  rii  rr     1  BROTHER'S    I.II'K 

little    brother    tell    oft    her 

father's  yacht.  She  was  a  good  swimmer,  and  when  she 
heard  the  splash  she  did  not  hesitate  an  instant,  but 
dived  in  beside  him  and  brought  him  up  so  quickly  that 
the  little  chap  said  afterwards,  "  I  did  n't  even  get  my 
hair  wet."  It  was  over  before  either  of  them  had  time  to 
get  frightened.    Every  summer  this  girl   and   her  sisters 


I  22 


I  MERGENCIES 


pra<  tice  rescuing  each  other  and  their  companions  just  for 
•-port.  They  swim,  towing  each  other  round  in  the  water. 
They  go  out  in  a  rowboat  and  tip  it  over  on  purpose; 
then  they  put  it  right  side  up  again,  bail  it  out,  and 
row  back  to  shore.  This  is  great  fun.  Besides,  it  teaches 
them  what  can  be  done  in  an  emergency  on  the  water. 

Another  thing  these  children  do  is  to  put  on  some  old 
clothes,  including  shoes  and  stockings,  over  their  bathing 
suits.  Then,  at  a  given  signal,  they  dive  into  the  water 
and  see  which  one  can  take  her  clothes  off  the  quickest 
in  the  water  and  swim  back  to  the  dock.  This  is  one  of 
the  greatest  sports  of  the  summer  time  for  these  girls 
and   their  friends. 

One  eold  winter's  day  one  of  these  sisters  was  skat- 
ing with  a  friend.  It  was  almost  dark  and  the}-  came 
unknowingly  to  a  stretch  of  thin  ice  and  fell  in.  This 
girl  did  not  lose  her  self-control.  She  swam,  keeping  her 
friend,  who  could  not  swim,  above  the  water,  while  the 
friend  called,  "  Help,  help!"  Some  ice  cutters  heard  her 
cries  and  rescued  them.  The  girl  who  could  swim  was 
declared  a  heroine,  and  her  name  was  in  all  the  papers. 
The  other  girl  did  her  part,  too,  by  shouting. 

If  you  fall  overboard, do  not  do  as  this  girl  in  the  picture 
is  doing.  She  is  splashing  with  her  arms  and  holding 
her  head  altogether  too  far  out  of  the  water.  All  you 
need  is  to  have  yourmouth  and  nose  out  of  water.  Keep 
the  arms  underneath  the  surface.    A  finger  on  an  oar  will 


DROWN  I  m; 


I  2 


keep  a  person  afloat  (sec  picture  on  next  page).  Many 
people  float  without  any  kind  of  support.  Lie  quietly  on 
your  back  and  breathe  deeply.  If  you  have  nothing  to 
hold  on  to,  try  to  swim  even  if  you  have  never  learned 
how.  Some  people  do  not  have  to  learn.  I  knew  a 
young  lady  who  was  once  carried  out  beyond  her  depth 
at  the  seashore.    She  didn't  know  that  she  could   swim, 


but  she  did  swim  back  to  shore,  and  from  that  time  on 
she  has  been  a  good  swimmer. 

A  man  who  could  only  swim  a  little,  once  accidentally 
fell  overboard.  He  had  on  a  Derby  hat.  He  noticed 
that  it  floated.  It  occurred  to  him  that  it  might  act  as  a 
float.  So  he  held  it  right  side  up  and  the  air  underneath 
was  enough  to  keep  his  head  above  the  water.  He  pad- 
dled with  the  other  hand  and  used  his  feet,  and  so  man- 
aged to  get  to  shore. 


[24 


EMERGENCIES 


The  body  is  a  little  lighter  than  the  water  it  displaces, 
provided  the  lungs  arc  full  of  air.  The  reason  a  drown- 
ing person  >inks  is  because  most  of  the  air  is  out  of  his 
lungs.    When  he  comes  to  the  surface  he  uses  up  what 


An  you  need  is  ro  have  voi  r  Mouth  ami  Nose  oui  of  Water 

air  is  in  his  lungs  in  calling  for  help  and  sinks  before  he 
can  breathe  it  in  again. 

In  going  out  in  boats  it  is  well  to  have  an  oar  or  a 
boat  hook  where  vmi  can  get  hold  of  it  easily,  not  tucked 
out  of  sight  under  seats  or  in  a  cabin.  Ropes  should  be 
kept  coiled  ready  for  instant  use.  1  know  a  mother  and 
daughter  who  were  thrown  off  their  motor  boat  when  it 
struck  on  a  rock  going  through  Little  Hell  Gate.  They 
both  could   >wim.  but  they  had  on  all   their  city  clothes. 


DROWNING  125 

The  daughter  was  quickly  rescued,  but  the  mother  was 
Out  of  reach.  In  the  excitement  no  one  thought  of  hand- 
ing her  the  boat  hook,  which  was  in  easy  reach  of  all  of 
them.    A  rope  was  finally  thrown  to  her. 

One  should  keep  in  mind  what  means  of  help  are  pos- 
sible in  such  a  case,  and  then  be  sure  that  everything  is 
kept  in  readiness. 

A  lecturer  on  the  first  aid  to  the  injured  recently  told 
me  that  he  thought  there  were  more  drowning  accidents 
in  winter  than  in  summer.  It  seems  incredible,  but  if  you 
read  the  papers  during  the  first  days  of  winter,  when  the 
ice  is  just  beginning  to  form,  you  will  see  many  notices 
of  drowning.  Boys  and  girls  can't  wait  until  the  ice  is 
thick  enough  before  they  try  their  skates. 

Last  winter  a  fourteen-year-old  boy  fell  into  a  hole 
which  the  ice  harvesters  had  left  the  day  before.  Another 
boy,  ten  years  old,  heard  his  cry  for  help  and  ran  to  the 
ice  house,  where  he  knew  there  was  a  ladder.  He  hurried 
back  with  it  and  found  that  it  was  just  long  enough  to 
reach  across  the  hole.  Then  he  crawled  over  the  rungs 
and  pulled  his  friend  out.  Ladders  are  not  always  so 
conveniently  near  as  this,  but  fence  rails,  branches  from 
trees,  or  boards  are  often  near  by. 

Bovs  and  girls  might  organize  a  winter  Volunteer  Life 
Saving  Corps  and  see  that  their  skating  ponds  are  pro- 
vided with   such   means   of   help   as   boards   or  a   ladder 


or  a   rope. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 
ARTIFICIAL   RESPIRATK  )X 

A  few  years  ago  the  English  Government  appointed  a 
commission,  with  Professor  Schaefer  of  Edinburgh  at  the 
head,  to  find  the  best  way  of  resuscitating  a  drowning 
person.  He  found  by  experimenting  with  animals  that 
drowning  was  not  caused  by  water  getting  into  the  lungs, 
but  by  the  failure  of  the  heart  to  do  its  work.  The  heart 
becomes  paralyzed. 

This  being  the  case,  it  follows  that  all  the  familiar 
directions,  such  as  standing  people  on  their  heads,  or 
lolling  them  on  barrels,  or  shaking  them  to  get  the  water 
out  of  their  lungs,  are  useless.  Such  treatment  does 
more  harm  than  good.  The  one  important  thing  to  do, 
and  to  do  quick] y,  is  to  get  the  person  to  breathe  again. 
Not  a  second  of  time  must  be  lost. 

Professor  Schaefer  made  main'  experiments  in  causing 
people  to  breathe  by  artificial  means.  There  is  an  instru- 
ment called  a  spirometer,  which  measures  the  amount 
of  air  a  person  can  take  into  his  lungs.  Spirometers 
are  in  almost  all  gymnasiums.  A  boy  who  goes  into  the 
"gym"  first  has  his  lung  capacity  measured  by  one  ol 
these    instruments    and     then    takes    exercises    to    help 


ARTIFICIAL   RESPIRATION  127 

increase  it.  By  a  spirometer  test  he  can  tell  at  any  time 
just  how  much  he  has  gained. 

Professor  Schaefer  found  through  his  experiments  that 

by  a  certain  method  of  manipulation  he  could  make 
a  person  breathe  more  air  into  his  lungs  than  could 
possibly  have  been  breathed  by  that  person  if  unaided. 
The  method  is  easy,  and  you  can  certainly  learn  to 
use  it. 

The  pictures  show  the  positions  to  take.  Lay  the 
person  on  his  stomach  on  a  level  place.  Turn  the 
head  to  the  left  side,  so  that  the  mouth  and  nose  are 
away  from  the  ground.  Either  kneel  by  the  side  of  the 
patient,  or  sit  on  his  hips,  and  place  both  hands  over  the 
small  of  the  back,  with  the  thumbs  nearly  touching  and 
the  fingers  spread  out  over  the  lowest  ribs;  then  swing 
yourself  forward,  counting  three  slowly  on  this  forward 
movement.  Now  quickly  swing  yourself  backward,  re- 
leasing the  pressure,  but  keeping  the  hands  on  the 
body  in  the  original  position  and  the  arms  straight.  In 
three  more  counts  repeat  this  movement.  This  should 
be  done  ten  or  twelve  times  a  minute  without  pausing 
between  the  movements. 

While  one  person  is  giving  the  artificial  breathing, 
others  can  be  getting  dry  blankets  or  hot-water  bottle-, 
or  they  can  be  rubbing  the  arms  or  legs  of  the  patient. 
There  should  be  no  attempt  made  to  force  the  patient 
to  drink  anything  until  after  breathing  is  restored. 


[28 


EMERGENCIES 


Professor  Schaefer  tried  all  the  old  methods  of  artificial 
breathing,  and  tested  them  with  a  spirometer,  but  by  none 
of  them  could  lie  get  so  much  air  into  the  lungs  as  by  this 
last  method.    In  fact,  by  the  old  methods  lie  could  not  get 

enough  air  into  the  lungs  to  make  a  person  comfortable. 


Swing  the  Body  slowly  Forv  \ki> 


When  a  person  is  laid  on  his  back,  as  he  was  in  some 
of  the  old  methods,  the  tongue  had  to  be  fastened  in 
some  way  so  as  not  to  fall  back  into  the  throat  and  cause 
choking.  By  Professor  Schaefer's  method  the  tongue  takes 
•  are  of  itself.  The  water  and  mucus  in  the  throat  and 
nose  run  out  themselves. 

Professor  Schaefer's  method  was  found  so  effective  and 
easy   to   learn    that   the    English    societies   corresponding 


ARTIFICIAL   RESPIRATION 


129 


to  our  Volunteer  Life  Saving  Corps  have  adopted  it. 
The  English  Government  Life  Saving  Service  lias  also 
adoptedit.  I  understand  that  our  Volunteer  Life  Saving 
Corps  are  considering  it,  and  that  our  government  is  in 
correspondence  with  some  of  the  European  countries 
with  a  view  of  finding  put  more  about  it. 


r^L  ^1 

for-     *EM 

HLte*is*4»s> 

Then  quickly  swing  the  Body  Backward 

It  is  well  worth  while  to  practice  artificial  respiration. 
It  is  not  only  useful  in  cases  of  accident  from  drowning, 
but  whenever  an  accident  of  any  kind  lias  caused  a 
person  to  stop  breathing.  It  might  be  the  means  of 
saving  a  boy's  life  on  the  football  field  when  his  breath 
has  been  knocked  out,  and  it  is  useful  to  revive  a  person 
who  has  received  an  electric  shock  and  breathing  sud- 
denly stops.  It  can  be  used  also  to  resuscitate  people 
suffering  from   poisoning  by  illuminating  gas. 


130  EMERGENCIES 

Do  not  wait  for  a  doctor. 

Do  not  wait  to  remove  the  person's  clothes. 

Do  not  wait  for  anything. 

The  one  tiling  absolutely  necessary  is  to  make  him 
breathe.  Not  a  second's  time  should  be  lost.  In  artificial 
breathing  lies  the  one  hope  of  saving  the  person's  life. 

To  the  Teacher.  It  is  very  important  that  children  should  practice 
this  method  of  resuscitation.  When  the  time  comes  that  some  one  of 
them  has  to  use  it,  there  should  be  no  hesitancy.  A  second's  delay  may 
be  fatal.   The  dividing  line  between  life  and  death  is  less  than  a  second. 

The  difficulty  in  practicing  the  method  may  not  be  easily  overcome. 
I  would  suggest  that  it  be  practiced  when  the  children  are  on  some 
excursion.  Some  teachers  may  be  able  to  practice  it  in  the  class  room  or 
in  the  school  yard,  while  others  may  find  this  very  difficult.  It  is  to  be 
kept  in  mind  that  a  life  may  be  saved  by  teaching  this  method  of  resus- 
citation to  the  children  so  that  its  use  becomes  automatic.  To  know 
about  it  is  not  sufficient.  It  is  only  by  getting  the  children  to  do  it  that 
it  can  be  fixed  in  their  minds  so  that  they  can  use  it. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

PLANTS    POISONOUS   TO   THE  TOUCH 

Poison   Ivy 

Twenty  years  ago  I  remember  seeing  my  brother  with 
a  red,  distorted  face,  eyelids  so  swollen  that  he  could 
hardly  see,  and  hands  so  puffed  out  that  they  looked 
like  boxing  gloves.  He  was  miserably  uncomfortable. 
He  could  not  read,  for  he  was  not  allowed  to  use  his 
eyes;  he  did  not  want  to  go  out  of  the  house  because 
he  looked  so  frightful.  All  this  misery  came  from  the 
fact  that  one  night  he  had  camped  out  and  had  slept  in 
a  bed  of  poison  ivy. 

Last  fall  a  woman  was  out  walking  on  one  of  the  upper 
streets  in  New  York  City,  when  she  met  a  nurse  wheeling 
a  baby  carriage;  in  the  baby's  hands  was  a  beautiful  cluster 
of  poison-ivy  leaves.  She  stopped  the  nurse  and  asked 
her  if  she  knew  what  the  baby  had.  Of  course  when  the 
nurse  was  told  that  it  was  poison  ivy  she  was  greatly 
troubled.  She  had  seen  the  pretty  scarlet  leaves  and  only 
wanted  to  please  the  baby  with  them. 

Poison  ivy  grows  in  all  sorts  of  places;  in  deserted  city 
lots,  along  country  roads,  even  on  stone  walls  and  on  the 
sands  near  the  sea.    It  is  found  north  and  south,  east  and 


i  j2  EMERGENCIES 

west,  and  in  both  hemispheres.  It  is  easily  recognized. 
Its  leaves  arc  always  grouped  in  threes.  When  they  first 
come  in  the  spring  they  are  red  and  waxlike  in  appear- 
ance; in  summer  they  are  glossy  green,  and  in  the  fall 
they  turn  scarlet.  They  are  often  so  pretty  it  is  no  wonder 
that  the  nurse  gave  some  to  the  baby  and  that  children 
often  gather  them  in  bouquets. 

The  poison  is  found  in  all  parts  of  the  plant,  —  in  the 
stems,  leaves,  roots,  fruit,  and  even  in  the  pollen.  The 
reason  why  some  people  who  never  touch  it  are  poisoned 
by  it  may  be  that  the  pollen  carried  by  the  wind  affects 
them,  or  dust  that  has  lain  on  the  leaves  may  be  the 
carrier.  The  plant  is  poisonous  in  all  seasons  of  the 
year,  although  one  is  more  likely  to  be  poisoned  in  warm 
weather,  when  the  skin  is  moist.  Some  people  are  never 
poisoned.  One  usually  feels  the  effects  of  it  some  time 
between  four  hours  and  four  days  alter  exposure.  It 
causes  intense  itching,  and  the  skin  becomes  red,  .swollen, 
and  blistered. 

In  1897  Dr.  Franz  Pfaff,  of  Harvard,  conducted  some  ex- 
periments and  found  that  the  poisonous  element  in  poison 
ivy  is  a  heavy,  gummy  oil.  The  way  to  remove  a  grease  or 
oil  from  one's  skin  is  to  use  soap  and  warm  water,  and 
this  is  a  treatment  for  ivv  poisoning.  Many  remedies 
are  suggested,  but  nothing  is  better  than  this  thorough 
s<  rubbing  with  soap  and  water.  If  it  is  not  thorough,  the 
washing  will  only  -pread  the  oil  over  a  larger  surface. 


PLANTS   P(  »IS(  )\(  US    l'( )  THE  T<  'I'll 


1  55 


As  this  poison  is  soluble  in  alcohol,  bathing  the  parts 
with  alcohol  is  a  good  remedy,  bul  it  must  be  renewed 
frequently  or  it  will  tend  to  spread  the  poison  in  the  same 
way  that  an  ordinary  washing  with  soup  and  water  does. 
Main'  people  prefer  to  use  sugar  of  lead  (lead  acetate)  dis- 
solved in  alcohol  and  water, 
half  and  half.  It  is  a  sure 
remedy,  but  is  itself  a  poison 
and  SO  must  not  be  taken 
internally  or  be  left  where 
young  children  can  reach  it. 

A  friend  of  mine  told  me 
that  he  was  very  susceptible 
to  ivy  poisoning  and  every 
year  suffered  from  it.  He 
heard  about  the  soap-and- 
water  treatment  and  decided 
to  try  it.   Last  summer,  every 

time    he    came    in    from    a     Soap-and-Water  Treatmen 

[vy  Poisoning 
tramp  in   woods  or  country, 

he  was  careful  to  wash  himself  thoroughly.  Until  the 
last  day  of  his  vacation  he  had  not  been  poisoned.  From 
the  last  tram];  of  the  season  he  came  home  late  in  the 
evening,  and  was  so  tired  that  he  let  the  scrubbing  go 
until  the  next  morning.  The  result  was  that  the  poi- 
sonous oil  had  time  to  affect  him,  and  he  was  troubled 
for  some  time.    He  should  have  kept  right  on  with  the 


134 


EMERGENCIES 


soap-and-water  treatment.     It  often  helps,  even  after  the 
inflammation  has  begun. 

It   may  be   that   some  of  the   people  who  are  proof 
against  this  poison  are  just  those  who  have  the  habit  of 

washing  themselves  care- 
fully when  they  come  in 
from  the  woods  or  country. 
Bathing  the  poisoned 
parts  in  hot  water  alone  is 
soothing  and  helps  to  dis- 
solve the  oil.  A  physician 
told  me  he  had  known  this 
to  work  most  successfully. 
The  beautiful  woodbine 
is  often  mistaken  for  poison 
ivy.  There  is  no  need  <>t 
this  confusion,  for  the  wood- 
bine, as  you  know,  has  five 
leaves  and  dark  blue  ber- 
ries, while  the  poison  ivy 
has  only  three  leaves,  as  the  picture  shows,  and  yellowish- 
green  berries.  A  simple  way  to  fix  this  difference  in 
mim's  mind  is  to  commit  to  memory  the  following  six- 
line  jingle: 


HSON    Ivy 


Berries  red  — 
I  [ave  no  dread  ; 

Berries  white  — 


Poisonous  sight ; 
Leaves  three  — 
Quickly  flee. 


I'l.  wis   POISONOUS  TO  THE  T<  >UCH 


35 


Remember  that  this  applies  only  to  plants  poisonous 
to  the  touch.  Sonic  plants  such  as  the  pokeberry  and 
deadly  nightshade  have  red  berries  which  arc  poisonous 
if  eaten  but  arc  not  poisonous  to  the  touch. 

Swamp  Sumac 

A  man  was  once  badly  poisoned  by  going  into  a  thicket 
of  swamp  sumac  in  the  winter  time.  Four  months  later 
he  put  on  a  cap  he  had  worn 
on  the  day  that  he  was 
poisoned  and  new  poison 
blisters  soon  came  out  on 
his  forehead. 

Swamp  sumac  is  the 
most  poisonous  shrub  in 
the  United  States.  It  is  a 
cousin  of  the  poison  ivy. 
They  are  in  the  same  bo- 
tanical family.  Dr.  Pfaff 
discovered  that  the  poison 
in  this  plant  is  the  same  as 
that  in  poison  ivy.  Hence 
the  treatment  is  the  same, 
—  a  good,  thorough  wash- 
ing with  soap  and  water. 
The  clinging  and  lasting  character  of  the  oil  is  shown 
by  the  way  it   remained   on   the  cap. 


Swamp  Sumai 


136  EMERGENCIES 

Swamp  sumac  is  sometimes  called  poison  dogwood.  I 
have  been  told  in  the  spring  to  leave  our  beautiful  flower- 
ing dogwood  alone  as  it  was  poisonous.  It  is  a  pity  for 
people  to  confuse  the  names  of  these  two  plants,  for  they 
have  nothing  in  common.  Swamp  sumac  should  never 
be  called  poison  dogwood.  Swamp  sumac,  as  its  name  indi- 
cates, lives  in  swampy  places.  It  is  easily  distinguished 
from  the  sumac  found  on  hillsides  and  in  pastures.  One 
prefers  dry,  rocky  soil,  and  the  other  moist  places ;  one 
has  beautiful  clusters  of  dark-crimson  fruit,  while  the 
other  has  long,  loose  racemes  of  white  berries;  one  has 
from  eleven  to  thirty-one  leaflets,  the  other  from  seven  to 
thirteen.    You  have  only  to  remember 

Berries  red  — 
Have  no  dread. 


CHAPTER    XXVI 
SNAKE    BITES   AND   INSECT   STINGS 

There  arc  four  kinds  of  poisonous  snakes  in  the  United 
States,  —  the  rattlesnake,  the  copperhead,  the  water  moc- 
casin, and  the  coral  snake.  These  four  kinds  of  snakes 
are  thick-bodied  and  have  blunt,  club-shaped  tails  and 
broad  triangular-shaped  heads. 
Their  eyes  are  vertical  slits, 
while  those  of  other  snakes 
are   round. 

The    coral     snake    is    found 
only   in    the    southern    states 
and  is  not  frequently  seen  even     The  Rattlesnake,  found  only 
there.      Its    name    suggests    its      ™  sparsely  Settled  Regions 

brilliant  markings.  The  water  moccasin  also  is  found 
only  in  the  southern  and  middle  states.  The  rattlesnake 
is  scattered  all  over  the  United  States,  but  is  being  slowly 
exterminated.  There  are  now  scarcely  any  poisonous 
snakes  in  New  England  or  in  any  other  settled  parts  <>t 
our  country. 

All  other  snakes  in  the  United  States  are  harmless. 
They  are  not  only  harmless  but  useful.  They  cat  insects, 
field   mice,   and    other   pests.    It    is    not    likely   that   one 

'37 


i  \S 


EMERGENCIES 


Coral  Snake,  found  only  in 

1  HE    SOI   I  III  K\    S  l  \  l  ES 


person    out    of   thousands   lias   ever  so  much    as    seen 
a    dangerous    snake,   except   in   captivity   or   in    alcohol. 

If  a  person  has  been  bitten 
by  one  of  these  snakes,  some- 
thing ought  to  be  done  at 
once.  The  giving  of  whisky 
is  a  very  doubtful  remedy.  A 
number  of  deaths  have  been 
caused  by  the  alcohol.  A 
three-year-old  child  was  once 
given  a  pint  of  whisky  for  a 
rattlesnake  bite,  and  of  course 
it  died.  A  child  cannot  stand 
that  amount  of  whisk)-.  In- 
deed very  few  older  people 
can  unless  they  are  used  to  it. 
I  once  saw  a  rattlesnake  coil 
up  and  spring  at  a  man.  The 
man  dodged  and  the  rattler 
fell  to  the  ground.  It  made 
me  wonder  what  I  should  do 
if  a  rattler  should  bite  me  or 
my  brother.  I  have  learned 
that  there  is  nothing  better  to  do  than  to  suck  the  poison 
out.  The  fangs  of  the  snake  make  a  very  small  opening, 
and  on  this  account  it  is  well  to  cut  into  the  wounded 
place  and  squeeze  and  suck  the  blood.    In  this  way  you 


The  Copperhe  \i>.  found  in  hii 
Middli    \m>  Southern  Si  ites 


W   \  i  i  k    MOCC  \MV    FOUND    in     nil 
SOU  I  HERN    AND    M  1 1 'I 'I  I     Si  I.TES 


SNAKE   BITES  AND   [NSECT  STINGS  [39 

will  be  more  likely  to  get  all  the  poison  out.    I  )<»  not 
delay;  every  moment  is  precious. 

About  one  out  of  every  ten  persons  bitten  by  a  poison- 
ous snake  dies.  A  strong,  healthy  person  is  not  likely  to 
die  from  snake  bites.  If  the  person  bitten  becomes  dis- 
couraged, a  cup  of  strong  coffee  or  a  tcaspoonful  of  aro- 
matic spirits  of  ammonia  diluted  in  water  is  good.  It  is 
best  to  move  about  so  as  to  keep  the  nerve  centers  active; 
and  like  other  wounds  the  snake  bite  must  be  kept  clean. 

Stings 

Honeybees,  wasps,  yellow  jackets,  hornets,  and  bumble- 
bees all  sting,  as  you  know,  if  they  or  their  nests  are 
disturbed. 

The  pain  that  comes  when  they  sting  a  person  is 
due  to  a  poisonous  acid  which  is  on  the  stinger.  The 
stingers  of  these  different  insects  are  of  various  shapes: 
that  of  the  honeybee  is  barbed  ;  those  of  the  wasp  and 
hornet  are  pointed.  All  these  insects  have  their  poi- 
soned weapons  to  protect  themselves.  The  bee  ought 
to  be  very  careful  of  his,  for  he  can  sting  only  once. 
The  stinger,  being  barbed,  cannot  be  withdrawn  after 
it  has  been  used. 

By  looking  carefully  one  can  see  the  stinger  and  pull 
it  out  with  a  pair  of  tweezers.  It  can  often  be  removed 
simply  by  sucking.  If  this  is  quickly  done,  less  poison 
will  be  absorbed  into  the  system. 


I4o  EMERGENCIES 

The  was])  and  hornet  can  sting  as  often  as  they  please, 
for  their  stingers  are  pointed. 

Some  people  become  almost  frantic  if  a  stinging  insect 
of  any  kind  flies  near  them.  It  is  much  better  to  be 
calm  and  to  let  it  have  a  sip  of  hone)-  from  the  flowers 
you  carry  or  a  taste  of  jam  from  your  sandwich.  It  will 
soon  be  satisfied  and  fly  away.  Remember  that  if  you 
do  not  disturb  stinging  insects  they  will  not  disturb  you; 
but  if  you  hit  them  or  anger  them,  either  intentionally 
or  accidentally,  they  will  promptly  teach  you  to  let  them 
alone. 

People  have  been  stung  to  death  by  these  insects. 
When  hundreds  of  them  get  angry  they  are  dangerous 
foes.  Their  poison,  being  an  acid,  calls  for  an  alkaline 
treatment.  Common  cooking  soda  is  good  for  this,  but  a 
simpler  remedy,  and  one  always  convenient,  is  moistened 
earth.  A  little  placed  on  the  wound  will  soon  relieve 
the  pain. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
ACCIDENTS   FROM    ELECTRICITY 

Lightning  is  one  form  of  electricity.  The  fear  of  light- 
ning causes  more  suffering  in  the  world  than  the  light- 
ning itself.  About  one  out  of  a  hundred  thousand  persons 
in  the  United  States  is  injured  every  year  by  lightning. 
Only  one  out  of  a  million  is  killed.  The  likelihood  that 
any  one  of  us  may  be  hurt  is  not  great  enough  to  make 
it  worth  while  for  us  to  be  afraid  of  it.  At  any  rate-,  fear 
of  lightning  does  not  do  any  good. 

It  is  far  better  to  cultivate  a  feeling  of  pleasure  in 
watching  a  thunderstorm.  I  have  seen  girls  —  and 
grown  people  too  —  suffering  the  most  intense  fright 
during  a  heavy  storm  in  the  summer  time.  I  have  seen 
other  girls  crying  out  with  delight  over  each  Mash  of 
lightning:  and  the  crash  of  thunder  that  followed  the 
flash.  They  loved  to  count  the  seconds  that  passed  be- 
tween the  flash  of  lightning  and  the  roar  of  the  thunder, 
so  as  to  calculate  how  far  away  the  lightning  struck. 

These  girls  could  have  let  themselves  be  frightened 
had  they  chosen  to  do  so,  but  instead,  they  had  made  up 
their  minds  to  enjoy  the  storm.  Sound  travels  at  the 
rate  of  about  a  mile  in  five  seconds,  so  if  you  count   the 


141 


[42  KM  URGENCIES 

number  of  seconds  between  the  flash  and  the  thunder, 
you  can  easily  reckon  the  number  of  miles  between  you 
and  the  place  where  the  lightning  struck.  To  busy  the 
mind  with  such  problems  is  one  practical  way  of  keeping 
out  a  feeling  of  fear.    It  makes  the  storm  interesting. 

There  are  a  few  precautions  to  be  observed.  If  you 
are  in  an  open  boat  or  an  open  field,  make  for  shelter  as 
quickly  as  possible.  An  exposed  object  in  the  open  is 
more  likely  to  attract  the  lightning  than  a  protected  ob- 
ject. Sitting  in  a  draught  by  an  open  window  is  also 
considered  dangerous. 

Boys  should  not  fly  kites  during  a  thunderstorm,  for 
the  kite  string  may  act  as  a  conductor. 

For  this  same  reason  it  is  not  safe  to  fly  a  kite  near  a 
heavily  charged  electric  wire.  If  the  string  becomes  en- 
tangled in  any  way  with  the  wire,  it  is  likely  to  act  as  a 
good  ground  connection  and  bring  a  strong  electric  cur- 
rent from  the  wire  through  the  boy's  body.  One  boy  I 
read  of  got  his  kite  string  caught  upon  a  cable,  and  in 
trying  to  untangle  it  received  such  a  violent  shock  that 
he  was  made  unconscious  for  some  time. 

There  is  infinitely  less  danger  of  our  being  hurt  by 
lightning  than  of  our  meeting  with  some  accident  from 
the  electricity  that  travels  along  wires  over  our  city 
street-. 

A  girl  was  once  walking  along  a  Xew  York  street, 
when  she  came  upon  a  crowd  of  people  who  were  greatly 


ACCIDENTS   FROM    ELECTRICITY  143 

excited  about  something.  A  man  had  conic  in  contact 
with  a  live  wire  and  was  utterly  helpless.  No  one  in  the 
crowd  knew  how  to  help  him.  They  stood  there,  looking 
on  and  doing  nothing.  This  girl  stepped  forward,  and 
taking  off  one  of  her  rubbers,  used  it  as  a  glove  and  pulled 
the  wire  away  from  him.  It  was  all  over  in  a  moment. 
She  replaced  her  rubber  and  disappeared.  She  did  not 
give  her  name.    No  one  knew  who  she  was. 

The  man  was  not  able  to  let  go  of  the  wire  without 
assistance,  for  the  electricity  had  contracted  the  muscles 
and  made  him  helpless.  The  girl  knew  that  rubber  is  a 
nonconductor  of  electricity,  and  that  she  was  safe  with 
the  thickness  of  her  rubber  between  her  and  the  wire ; 
but  if  she  had  left  the  rubber  on  her  foot,  she  would 
have  been  just  as  well  protected,  provided  no  one  touched 
her.  With  both  rubbers  on  her  feet,  connection  with  the 
ground  would  have  been  cut  off,  and  that  was  all  that 
was  necessary.  An  old  pair  of  rubbers  with  holes  in  the 
bottom  would  not  have  been  safe. 

Suppose  there  had  been  no  rubbers  in  the  crowd,  what 
could  have  been  clone?  A  man  could  have  removed  his 
suspenders,  and  putting  them  around  the  wire  could  have 
pulled  it  away.  A  woman  could  have  taken  her  silk  petti- 
coat and,  folding  it  several  times,  could  have  used  it  as  a 
holder  for  grasping  the  wire  and  removing  it.  A  person 
would  have  been  safe  if  he  had  stood  on  a  dry  board  and 
used  as  a  holder  several  folds  of  dry  newspaper  or  a  dry 


1 44  EMERGENCIES 

coat.  Rubber,  silk,  and  dry  materials,  such  as  wood,  cot- 
ton, wool,  or  paper,  arc  nonconductors  of  electricity. 

I  went  to  the  head  office  of  the  Edison  Electric  Com- 
pany and  asked  them  how  they  taught  their  men  to  pro- 
tect themselves  against  accidents  from  electricity.  The 
chief  electrician  told  me  that  the  rule  was  never  to  touch 
strange  wires.  'Treat  a  strange  wire  as  you  would  a 
strange  dog.    Leave  it  alone.    The  wire  may  be  charged." 

I  asked  him  if  there  was  enough  voltage  in  the  com- 
mon electric-light  current  to  cause  serious  harm,  lie 
said  Xo,  but  that  people  differed  in  the  amount  of  elec- 
tricity they  could  stand.  He  told  me  of  a  laborer  who 
came  to  him  and  said  that  he  had  heard  electricity  was 
good  for  rheumatism,  and  that  he  would  like  to  know  if 
thi>  was  true.  The  electrician  offered  to  give  him  a  trial 
treatment.  He  gave  the  man  what  would  have  been  for 
most  people  a  heavy  >hock,  but  the  laborer  scarcely  felt  it. 
He  said,  "  It  feels  a  little  queer."  The  fact  was  that  the 
man's  hands  were  protected  by  thick,  hard,  dry  skin.  A 
very  sensitive  person  with  thin,  moist  skin  could  stand  very 
little  as  compared  with  the  amount  this  man  could  stand. 

Burns  caused  by  electricity  are  more  difficult  to  heal 
than  others.  They  are  treated  just  as  other  burns  are. 
according  to  their  degree  of  severity.  If  the  shock  has 
5ed  unconsciousness,  the  clothing  should  be  loosened 
and  the  body  rubbed  until  circulation  is  restored.  It  may 
be  necessary  to  try  artificial  breathing  (see  p.  127). 


CHAPTER   XXVI 1 1 
FOURTH   OF  JULY   ACCIDENTS 

The  Fourth  of  July  is  our  country's  birthday.  It  is  very 
natural  for  us  to  want  to  celebrate  it  in  some  emphatic  way. 

The  American  Medical  Association  Journal  has  been 
keeping-  a  record  of  our  celebrations  for  six  years.  In 
1908,  5460  people,  mostly  children,  were  injured  in  some 
way  or  other,  and  163  were  killed.  Eleven  persons  lost 
both  eyes,  93  lost  one  eye,  57  lost  either  a  leg  or  an  arm 
or  a  hand,  1.S4  lost  one  or  more  fingers.  There  were 
76  cases  of  lockjaw.  These  deaths  and  accidents  were 
scattered  all  over  the  country.  If  they  had  all  happened 
in  one  place,  as  on  a  battlefield,  people  would  become 
excited  and  something  would  be  done,  and  that  very 
quickly,  to  protect  boys  and  girls  from  such  awful  deaths 
and  injuries.  Probably  there  are  no  more  painful  wounds 
than  those  caused  by  gunpowder  or  fire.  There  have 
been  more  people  killed  by  celebrating  the  day  of  our 
independence  than  were  killed  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
—  the  very  war  in  which  we  won  our  independence. 

The  doctors  realize  the  dangers  of  the  day.  Many  of 
them  stay  at  home  on  the  Fourth  so  as  to  be  ready  for 
accidents.    The  hospitals  are  all  prepared  for  receiving 

■45 


I46  EMERGENCIES 

wounded  boys  and  girls.  Bandages  and  dressings  and 
antitoxin  for  those  likely  to  get  lockjaw  are  all  kept  ready 
for  immediate  use. 

The  newspapers  report  many  accidents  like  the  following. 

"  Donald  Graves  is  suffering  from  a  badly  burned  face 
as  a  result  of  the  Fourth  of  July  celebration.    Yesterday 


Tj^Hfawr*, 


'«-_.  «-w  »-  L 


f 


The  Swedish  Fl<  i  \  i 


morning  he  started  to  investigate  a  firecracker  which 
had  been  lighted  but  had  not  exploded.  Just  as  he 
turned  it  up  to  look  at  it,  the  cracker  'went  off,'  blow- 
ing his  face  full  of  powder  and  badly  burning  him." 

Every  grain  of  that  powder  had  to  be  picked  out  of 
his  face  with  great  pain  to  him  and  long,  tedious  work 
for  his  doctor.    Another  boy  loaded  a  tin  can  with  powder 


FOURTH   OF  JULY  ACCIDENTS 


M7 


and  attached  a  fuse.    It  did  not  appeal'  to  burn,  but  as 
he  was  standing  over  it,  it  suddenly  exploded.    I  lis  face 

was  terribly  burned  and  he  had  to  be  taken  to  a  hospital. 

Another  case  was  reported  of  a  boy  and  his  two 
cousins,  who  improvised  a  small  cannon  out  of  the  hub 
of  a  wagon  wheel.  They 
filled  the  hub  with  powder, 
and  when  one  of  them 
lighted  the  fuse  the  whole 
contrivance  burst  and  sent 
a  piece  of  iron  into  the 
brain  of  one  of  the  boys. 
He  died  in  half  an  hour. 

In  some  cities  the  people 
are  trying  to  find  better  and 
less  harmful  ways  of  cele- 
brating the  Fourth. 

At  Springfield,  Massa- 
chusetts, on  the  Fourth  of 
July,  1908,  they  had  a  great  parade  in  the  morning. 
Buffalo  Hill  happened  to  be  in  the  citv,  and  he  and  his 
followers  took  part  in  it.  Each  nationality  living  in  the 
city  was  represented  in  a  distinctive  way.  The  Swedes. 
the  Germans,  the  English,  the  Scotch,  the  Irish,  the 
Poles,  the  Greeks,  the  Italians,  the  Syrians,  the  French, 
the  Negroes,  and  even  the  Chinese  took  part  in  this 
great  parade.     Each  nation   illustrated   in  some  way  the 


The  Schoolboy  Battalion 


Wii  VI     I  II IV    I  HI  j    IN     I  in.    A  I  rERNOON 


FOURTH   OF  JULY  ACCIDENTS 


149 


The  I  )angerous  Toy  Pis  roL 


customs  or  deeds  of  its  ancestors.  The  schoolboys  of 
the  city  had  uniforms  and  carried  wooden  guns.  In  the 
afternoon  balloons  ascended  and  there  were  athletic 
games  in  various  sections  of 
the  city.  At  night  they  had 
public  fireworks  in  four  dif- 
ferent places.  Every  one  had 
a  good  time  and  there  were 
scarcely  any  accidents. 

The  most  serious  accidents 
on  the  Fourth  are  caused  by  toy  pistols  and  cannon 
firecrackers.  It  hardly  seems  possible  that  a  small  toy 
pistol  can  do  so  much  damage.  I  gave  one  to  my  little 
boy  one  Fourth,  little  thinking  that  they  were  the  pistols 

I  had  read  about  that  were  so 
dangerous.  The  fine  powder 
from  the  caps  often  causes  a 
little  wound  in  the  hand,  and  in 
this  wound  the  dangerous  germ 
of  lockjaw  finds  a  good  place 
to  live.  This  little  germ,  you 
remember,  is  called  the  tetanus 
germ.  It  lives  in  the  earth. 
When  a  boys  hands  are  dirty, 
as  they  are  sure  to  be  on  the  Fourth,  the  exploding 
powder  is  apt  to  carry  into  the  flesh  some  part  of  the  soiled 
skin,  and  this  dirty  skin  often  has  tetanus  germs  on  it. 


Tetanus  Germs 


150  EMERGENCIES 

Cases  such  as  the  following  happen  every  year  after 
the   Fourth. 

"Harry  Corter,  aged  nine  years,  died  from  lockjaw. 
A  toy  pistol  exploded  in  his  hand  on  the  Fourth.  The 
boy's  death  was  pitiful,  for  he  was  in  terrible  pain.  The 
work  of  the  poisonous  germ  was  such  that  the  little 
fellow's  jaws  became  locked,  and  though  everything  was 
done  for  him,  it  was  of  no  avail." 

An  antitoxin  has  recently  been  discovered  which,  if 
given  in  time,  will  prevent  lockjaw.  Most  hospitals  arc- 
supplied  with  it,  especially  on  the  Fourth. 

A  doctor  who  is  at  the  head  of  a  large  hospital  told 
me  that  the  cases  that  came  in  several  days  after  the 
Fourth  are  often  the  worst.  I  le  said,  "  You  see,  the  boys 
get  hurt  and  do  not  want  to  stop  their  fun,  so  they  stuff 
their  wounded  hands  into  their  pockets  and  do  not  tell 
their  parents  until  after  the  Fourth  is  over.  By  this  time 
inflammation  has  begun,  and  even  if  the  tetanus  germ 
does  not  get  in,  these  cases  are  difficult  to  treat." 

Toy  cannon  are  very  dangerous.  Some  boys  handle 
them  carefully  and  do  not  get  hurt,  but  seven  bovs 
were  killed  by  them  in  [908  and  three  hundred  and 
llinety-nine  were  injured.  A  friend  of  mine  was  at  a 
meeting  this  year  when  some  boy  threw  a  cannon 
cracker  in  at   the  window.     It  exploded,  and  one  woman 

u,i>  seriously  hurt. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 
WHAT   MAKES    A    HERO 

In  Brooklyn  recently  a  little  boy  coaxed  a  few  pennies 

from  his  father,  and  said  he  was  going  to  find  Daisy. 
He  found  her,  and  the  two  playmates  started  oil  to 
buy  apples.    They  had  to  cross  some  tracks  to  get   to 

the  apple  stand.  A  car  came  along.  The  boy  saw  it 
coming  —  so  did  Daisy,  but  she  was  in  the  middle  <>f 
the  track  and  so  frightened  that  she  could  not  move. 
The  boy  with  a  cry  sprang  forward,  and  with  a  push 
sent  Daisy  sprawling  out  of  the  way;  but  although 
the  motorman  tried  his  best,  the  car  ran  over  the  little 
fellow.  When  the  doctor  came  he  heard  the  boy  mum- 
bling some  word  about  Daisy,  but  his  life  was  soon  gone. 
In  this  boy's  act  there  was  splendid  courage,  lie  was 
a  hero. 

A  six-year-old  girl  had  been  jumping  rope  on  a  bridge. 
The  rope  slipped  from  her  hand,  and  in  reaching  for  it 
she  fell  into  the  river.  A  boy  looking  out  of  the  window 
of  his  home  saw  her  fall.  He  rushed  out,  dived  into  the 
river  after  her,  and  with  much  difficulty  brought  her  to 
the  shore.  This  boy  hero  was  eleven  years  old.  This  a<  I 
took  not  only  courage  and  the  ability  to  act  quickly  but 

'51 


152  EMERGENCIES 

also  a  knowledge  of  swimming.  1  le  would  have  been 
helpless  if  he  had  not  possessed  this  special  knowledge. 

These  two  cases  show  how  we  can  divide  accidents 
into  two  groups  according  to  what  they  demand  of  us. 
The  first  group  demands  courage  and  quick  action  ;  the 
second  group  demands  not  only  courage  and  quick  action 
but  also  special  knowledge,  —  it  requires  preparation. 

In  crossing  a  street  a  boy  rushes  out  and  grabs  his 
baby  sister  away  from  an  approaching  automobile.  This 
is  unselfish  and  heroic.  It  is  fine.  But  suppose  his  baby 
sister  falls  into  a  river.  He  might  be  just  as  anxious  to 
save  her,  but  if  he  does  not  know  how  to  swim,  it  would 
be  useless  for  him  to  jump  into  the  river.  He  would  be 
perfectly  helpless  because  of  his  lack  of  special  preparation. 

A  girl  might  see  some  rat  biscuit  on  the  floor  where 
her  baby  brother  could  get  it.  She  picks  it  up  and 
places  it  out  of  his  reach.  This  act  is  thoughtful ;  it  de- 
serves our  admiration,  and  the  baby  may  owe  his  life  to 
it.  But  supposing  the  baby  has  already  found  the  biscuit 
and  eaten  some  of  it,  does  she  know  then  what  to  do  ?  It 
takes  something  more  than  thoughtful ness  to  help  in  this 
case.  She  needs  to  know  that  arsenic  is  the  poison  used 
in  rat  biscuit,  and  that  the  thing  to  do  is  to  give  an 
emetic,  —  something  that  will  make  the  baby  "  throw  up." 
Furthermore,  she  should  know  that  warm  water  and  mus- 
tard is  the  emetic  to  give.  This  is  a  case  where  knowledge 
is  better  than  good  intentions. 


WHAT  MAKES  A   HERO  153 

Many  of  the  incidents  given  in  this  book  show  that 
boys  and  girls  of  our  times  arc  not  lacking  in  courage. 
Hut  our  time  demands  of  its  boys  and  girls  not  only 
courage  but  also  knowledge.  Knowing  what  to  do  gives 
one  courage.  If  Grace  Darling  had  not  known  how  to 
row  she  never  could  have  helped  her  aged  father  rescue 
those  people  on  that  stormy  morning. 

A  sudden  accident  is  apt  to  show  the  character  of  a 
boy  or  girl.  In  an  instant  you  know  whether  he  is  brave, 
courageous,  plucky,  cool-headed,  and  self-controlled,  or  just 
the  opposite.  In  order  to  have  these  good  traits,  it  is  well 
to  begin  early.  When  a  child  burns  a  finger  there  is  no 
use  in  fussing  over  it.  It  ought  to  be  sensibly  cared  for, 
kept  clean,  but  not  fussed  over.  "  Grin  and  bear  it "  is  a 
good  motto. 

But  we  must  remember  that  what  may  be  perfectly 
natural  and  easy  for  one  person  might  be  very  difficult 
for  another.  A  man  working  on  one  of  the  East  River 
bridges  in  New  York  City  becomes  accustomed  to  walk- 
ing on  the  iron  girders  and  has  little  fear  of  falling  into 
the  river  far  below.  Yet  for  a  person  not  accustomed  to 
it,  it  would  be  a  very  brave  and  daring  undertaking. 
Habit  has  much  to  do  with  bravery; 

It  is  for  us  to  choose  whether  we  shall  cultivate  brave 
habits  or  cowardly  ones.  Scarcely  a  day  passes  that  the 
papers  do  not  record  cases  such  as  the  following,  of  chil- 
dren who  have  chosen  to  cultivate  the  habit  of  bravery. 


l-^  EMERGENCIES 

"  Plucky  girl  of  Jour,  hurled  fifty  feet  by  a  car,  tells 
her  grandmother  not  to  cry.    The  child's  leg  was  broken 

and  she  was  hurt  internally,  but  her  first  words  were, 
'Don't  cry,  Grandma,  I  am  not  hurt.'" 

"  Laughs  with  surgeons.  A  little  girl  was  badly  cut  by 
falling  on  a  milk  bottle  which  she  was  carrying  down- 
stairs. The  surgeon  had  to  put  in  twelve  stitches.  She 
never  made  a  cry.  The  only  sign  of  pain  she  showed  was 
in  tightening  her  lips." 

"  Girl  saves  a  baby  sister.  A  girl  seven  years  old 
rushed  into  the  street  to  save  her  baby  sister  from  being 
run  over  by  an  automobile.  She  was  herself  struck  by 
the  auto  and  had  to  be  taken  to  a  hospital." 

Here  is  (me  where  a  ten-year-old  girl,  fully  dressed, 
dives  from  a  boat  and  saves  a  twelve-year-old  boy. 

Such  acts  of  heroism  on  the  part  of  boys  and  girls  are 
not  uncommon.  It  is  expected  of  one  to  be  brave.  If  one 
is  not  brave,  we  say,  "  How  cowardly."  Hut  it  is  fine  to 
be  ready,  so  that  when  the  occasion  comes  we  can  meet 
it  with  lightninglike  quickness  and  without  hesitation. 


QUESTIONS 


Chapter  I 

Do  you  know  of  any  one  who  has  never  had  an  accident  of  any  kind  ? 
Give  two  reasons  why  it  is  important  to  take  care  of  slight  cuts  or  hums. 
Why  is  it  an  act  of  bravery  to  take  care  of  a  little  wound  ?  Why  do  some 
wounds  heal  more  quickly  than  others?  Explain  why  the  use  of  anti- 
septics has  shortened  the  time  for  getting  well  allowed  workmen  who 
have  been  injured.  Give  some  examples  from  your  own  experience  of 
people  who  have  been  saved  suffering  by  one  who  knew  what  to  do  in 
emergencies.  What  are  the  advantages  in  knowing  what  to  do?  Which 
is  more  important,  to  learn  how  to  avoid  accident  or  to  learn  what  to  do 
in  case  of  accident  ? 

Chapter  II 

How  would  you  teach  a  brother  or  sister  to  handle  firearms  ?  What 
do  you  think  of  the  habit  of  pretending  to  shoot  any  one  ?  Do  you  know 
of  any  one  who  was  ever  shot  by  accident?  How  did  it  happen  ?  Why 
is  it  bad  to  carry  a  gun  pointed  toward  the  feet?  Why  is  it  dangerous 
to  strike  loaded  cartridges  ?    Are  air  rifles  dangerous  ? 

Chapter  III 

What  is  the  first  thing  to  do  if  one  is  injured?  Is  it  wise  to  try  to 
carry  a  person  who  is  severely  injured?  Show  how  a  handkerchiei  seat 
is  made.  What  kind  of  a  knot  should  one  make?  Why  is  a  "lady's 
chair  "  seat  unsatisfactory  ?    Show  how  a  blanket  seat  is  made.    What 

'55 


j-6  EMERGENCIES 

arc  the  advantages  of  this  seat  over  others  ?  Why  is  it  important  in 
this  seat  to  have  the  center  of  gravity  at  just  the  right  height?  Show 
another  method  of  carrying  an  injured  person.  In  what  kind  of  acci- 
dents is  it  unwise  to  use  this  method  of  carrying  ?  What  position  should 
the  stronger  person  take?  Give  another  method.  How  can  a  person 
who  is  unconscious  be  carried  out  of  a  burning  building  ?  Tell  two  ways 
in  which  litters  can  be  made. 

Chapter  IV 

Do  you  think  motormcn,  firemen,  or  chauffeurs  want  to  run  over  boys 
and  girls  ?  Why  are  there  so  many  street  accidents  to  children  ?  Why 
do  you  think  more  children  are  run  over  by  trolley  cars  than  by  other 
vehicles?  How  can  children  help  to  lessen  these  accidents?  Tell  how 
to  get  on  a  street  car  correctly.  Which  way  should  one  face  in  getting 
on  ?  What  is  the  right  way  to  get  off  ?  Which  way  should  one  face  in 
getting  off  ? 

Chapter  V 

How  many  bones  are  there  in  the  wrist  ?  in  the  ankle  ?  What  holds 
these  bones  together  ?  What  happens  when  a  wrist  or  ankle  is  sprained  ? 
Why  is  a  sprain  sometimes  more  serious  than  a  broken  arm  or  leg? 
Give  two  reasons  why  it  is  bad  to  allow  blood  and  lymph  to  gather  about 
a  sprain.  What  is  the  first  thing  to  do  to  keep  the  swelling  down? 
What  does  cold  water  do  ?  What  does  hot  water  do  ?  Explain  the  process 
of  bandaging  a  sprain.  What  do  horse  trainers  do  with  a  horse  which 
has  a  sprained  ankle  ?  What  is  a  simple  method  of  treating  a  sprained 
ankle  ? 

Chapter  V] 

Into  how  many  groups  have  we  divided  wounds?  Give  examples  of 
each  group.  Why  are  punctured  wounds  dangerous  ?  Why  is  a  wound 
that  bleeds  less  dangerous  than  a  wound  that  does  not  ?    What  disease 


QUESTIONS  157 

often  comes  from  rusty-nail  wounds?  Where  is  the  home  of  the  tetanus 
germ?  How  should  one  take  care  of  a  punctured  wound?  Give  some 
way  of  avoiding  nail  wounds.  Mow  can  fishhooks  be  removed  from 
the  flesh?  Can  a  fishhook  wound  be  deep?  Why?  Tell  how  wire 
cutters  might  be  useful  on  a  camping  trip.  How  do  we  treat  fishhook 
wounds?  Why  is  it  important  to  examine  a  needle  on  which  one  has 
stepped?  If  a  piece  is  broken  off,  what  should  we  do?  Why  should  we 
take  care  not  to  leave  pins  and  needles  in  clothes  that  are  to  be  washed  ? 
Why  are  splinters  sometimes  dangerous  ?  Tell  about  the  case  given  in 
the  book. 

Chapter  VII 

What  is  the  first  thing  to  do  in  case  of  a  cut  ?  Why  do  we  raise  the 
injured  part?  What  is  the  second  thing  to  do?  Why  are  tourniquets 
sometimes  injurious  ?  When  are  they  necessary  ?  How  can  cuts  be 
held  together  without  stitches  taken  in  the  flesh  ?  Why  is  it  important 
to  keep  a  wound  quiet  while  healing?  Does  the  seriousness  of  a  cut 
depend  on  its  size  or  its  position  ?  Have  you  ever  been  injured  by 
carrying  your  knife  open  ?  What  is  the  safer  way  of  carrying  a  knife  ? 
Is  it  wise  to  let  little  children  run  about  with  sticks  in  their  mouths  ? 
Why  ?  Explain  how  to  wring  a  cloth  out  of  boiling  water  without  getting 
burned.    When  is  it  well  to  use  hot  cloths  of  this  kind  ? 

Chapter  VIII 

Will  soap  and  water  clean  a  wound  sufficiently  to  satisfy  a  doctor? 
What  more  is  necessary  to  clean  a  wound  ?  What  do  antiseptics  do  ? 
Give  the  name  of  the  three  antiseptics  given  in  the  book.  How  much 
water  is  used  with  one  five-grain  bichloride  tablet?  How  much  water 
is  used  with  a  teaspoonful  of  carbolic  acid  ?  Why  should  these  two  anti- 
septics be  kept  out  of  the  reach  of  little  children  ?  How  much  water  do 
we  use  with  one  teaspoonful  of  boracic  acid  powder  ?    When  is  a  wound 


[58  EMERGENCIES 

ready  to  be  bandaged  ?  When  is  a  wound  said  to  heal  by  "  first  inten- 
tion "'  ?  When  by  "  second  intention  "  ?  Which  way  is  the  better?  Give 
two  reasons. 

Chapter  IX 

What  two  kinds  of  bandages  are  there  ?  Why  do  we  use  the  trian- 
gular bandage  ?  In  case  of  an  emergency  what  could  one  use  for  a 
triangular  bandage  ?  Give  three  reasons  why  square  knots  are  better 
than  granny  knots.  Make  two  kinds  of  slings  with  a  triangular  band- 
age. Make  a  scalp  bandage.  In  what  way  can  girls  make  use  of  scalp 
bandages  ?  Make  a  hand  bandage,  a  foot  bandage,  an  ear  bandage,  and 
an  eye  bandage.    How  can  you  use  surgeon's  plaster  ? 

Chapter  X 

Who  are  more  fortunate  in  case  of  accident,  country  children  or  city 
children  ?  Give  your  reason.  What  is  the  first  thing  to  do  if  a  child  is 
accidentally  run  over  in  the  street  ?  Do  you  have  to  pay  for  the  use 
of  the  telephone  in  case  of  accident  or  fire  ?  Tell  what  you  know  about 
hospitals.  Have  you  ever  been  in  a  hospital  ?  Why  is  it  better  to  have 
wounds  cared  for  immediately  ?  What  does  alcohol  do  to  the  machinery 
of  the  body?  Do  people  who  "  drink  "  have  more  accidents  or  fewer 
accidents  than  those  who  do  not  drink  ?  Are  men  who  drink  usually 
given  responsible  positions?  What  kind  of  a  movement  is  going  on 
throughout  the  world  in  reference  to  the  use  of  alcoholic  liquors  ? 

(  Ihapter  XI 

Have  you  ever  seen  flannelette  on  fire  ?  What  do  some  manufacturers 
do  to  reduce  its  inflammability?  Can  fire  live  without  air?  Why  do  we 
wrap  a  blanket  or  rug  about  a  person  who  is  on  fire  ?  In  which  direction 
do  flames  go?  Why  is  it  better  to  lie  down  if  one  is  on  fire?  Which 
burns  more  readily,  a  cotton  dress  or  a  woolen  dress  ?   Why  is  it  better  to 


QUESTIONS 


'59 


wear  a  woolen  rather  than  a  cotton  dress  when  playing  around  bonfires? 
In  what  ways  should  one  be  careful  in  using  gasoline?  Does  it  appeal 
that  children  over  six  years  old  often  get  burned  by  playing  with  fire? 
Why  are  safety  matches  better  than  sulphur  matches  ?    (live  two  reasons. 

Chapter  XII 

What  is  the  first  thing  to  do  in  case  of  burns  ?  How  is  this  most 
easily  done  ?  If  large  portions  of  the  body  are  burned,  into  warm  water 
of  what  temperature  should  the  person  be  placed  ?  Why  is  the  person 
placed  in  warm  water  instead  of  cold  ?  When  can  cold  water  be  used  ? 
What  is  the  normal  temperature  of  the  body  ?  Is  the  temperature  of  our 
bodies  the  same  in  winter  as  in  summer?  Give  four  reasons  why  the 
water  treatment  is  useful.  Describe  a  first-degree  burn,  a  second-degree 
burn,  a  third-degree  burn.  What  method  of  treatment  of  first-  and  second- 
degree  burns  is  good  when  the  water  treatment  is  not  convenient  ?  I  low 
can  we  exclude  air  from  burns  ?  "Give  two  ways.  How  should  third- 
degree  burns  be  treated  ?  What  is  carron  oil  ?  What  other  oils  may  be 
used  ?  Why  are  scalds  so  often  fatal  ?  How  should  clothing  be  removed 
from  a  burned  person  ?  When  should  blisters  be  drained  ?  What  is  the 
best  way  to  drain  a  blister  ?  Describe  a  sunburn.  How  should  sunburns 
be  treated  ?    Tell  why  the  hand  shown  in  the  picture  is  disfigured. 

Chapter  XIII 

How  much  money  does  it  cost  the  city  of  New  York  yearly  to  pro- 
tect its  people  against  fire  ?  What  kind  of  men  enter  the  fire  department  ? 
What  examinations  do  they  have  to  pass  ?  What  is  said  about  drinking 
liquor?  Do  men  under  the  influence  of  liquor  save  people  from  top  stories 
of  burning  buildings?  Did  you  ever  visit  a  fireman's  training  school?  Tell 
how  many  fires  in  New  York  City  in  1906  were  due  to  children's  use  of 
matches ;  to  lighted  cigars  and  cigarettes.    Tell  why  it  is  a  good  plan 


160  EMERGENCIES 

to  shut  doors  and  windows  in  case  of  fire.  Explain  why  it  is  best  to  let 
the  fire  department  save  household  goods.  What  must  fire  have  in  order 
to  burn  ? 

Chapter  XIV 

Give  two  reasons  why  the  eyes  of  school  children  are  taxed  more 
now  than  they  were  a  hundred  years  ago.  What  is  the  effect  of  this  eye- 
strain as  shown  by  the  examination  of  the  eyes  of  school  children  ?  1  low- 
can  boys  and  girls  protect  their  eyesight  ?  How  can  you  discover  for 
yourself  the  best  position  for  studying  ?  Why  is  the  habit  of  correct  sit- 
ting while  reading  worth  forming?  Give  two  reasons.  How  are  our 
eyes  protected  from  accidents  ?  How  do  you  remove  a  cinder  from  your 
eye  ?  Why  is  it  harmful  to  rub  the  eye  ?  Give  two  methods  of  removing 
cinders.  If  a  piece  of  plaster  fell  in  your  eye,  how  would  you  remove  it  ? 
Give  two  ways  of  treating  a  black  eye.    What  is  a  good  eye  wash  ? 

Chapter  XV 

How  can  a  dentist  replace  teeth  ?  How  can  he  make  fast  a  loosened 
tooth  ?  Explain  how  toothache  is  treated  in  a  tooth  in  which  there  is  a 
cavity;  in  a  tooth  in  which  there  is  no  cavity.  How  can  inflammation 
be  checked  ?  When  do  the  first  permanent  teeth  come  ?  Why  are  these 
teeth  liable  to  become  decayed  ?  What  saying  have  the  Germans  in  re- 
gard to  healthy  teeth  ?  How  often  should  the  teeth  be  brushed  ?  Are 
there  exceptions  ? 

Chapter  XVI 

Tell  two  ways  of  getting  a  bean  or  shoe  button  out  of  the  nose. 
Why  is  it  bad  to  try  to  push  an  object  out  of  the  nose  ?  When  does  the 
nose  fail  to  detect  the  odor  of  gas  or  smoke  ?  Why  do  we  keep  the 
head  erect  when  the  nose  is  bleeding  ?  What  do  we  mean  by  coagula- 
tion of  blood  ?   Why  is  ice  good  for  nosebleed  ?    Explain  how  ice  can 


QUESTIONS  l6l 

be  applied  to  the  nose.    Give  three  other  ways  of  stopping  nosebleed. 

Kxplain  the  proeess  of  plugging  the  nose  with  cotton.    Why  is  ;i  string 
tied  to  the  cotton?    What  children  are  most  susceptible  to  nosebleed  ? 

Chapter  XVII 

What  is  the  first  thing  to  do  in  case  of  poisoning?  What  is  safe  t<> 
give  until  the  doctor  comes?  What  is  a  good  emetic?  How  is  it  pre- 
pared ?  What  is  the  most  important  thing  to  remember  in  poison  acci- 
dents ?  In  case  of  acid  poisoning  what  is  the  best  remedy  ?  In  case  of 
alkaline  poisoning  ?  Kxplain  the  effect  of  an  acid  on  an  alkali.  What 
soothing  remedy  is  it  always  safe  to  give  ?  How  is  it  prepared  ?  At  what 
age  are  poison  accidents  most  common  ?  Why  is  this  ?  What  precautions 
are  necessary  to  prevent  these  accidents  ?  What  is  the  remedy  for  arsenic- 
poisoning  ?  What  plants  do  you  know  that  are  poisonous  to  eat  ?  If  you 
were  in  the  woods  and  had  been  poisoned  by  eating  a  poisonous  plant, 
how  would  you  produce  vomiting?  What  is  the  treatment  for  tobacco 
poisoning  ? 

Chapter  XVIII 

Have  you  ever  seen  children  suck  the  heads  off  matches  ?  Why  is 
this  dangerous  ?  What  is  the  treatment  for  poisoning  by  phosphorus  ?  by 
turpentine  ?  iodine  ?  strychnine  ?  gasoline  ?  camphor  ?  bichloride  ?  blue 
vitriol  ?  lye  ? 

Chapter  XIX 

What  is  the  treatment  for  whisky  poisoning  ?  Why  are  men  who 
drink  not  given  responsible  positions  ?  Why  is  one  chicken  on  page  97 
so  much  smaller  than  the  other?  Tell  the  story  of  Bum  and  Tipsy;  of 
Nig  and  Topsy.  Tell  about  the  experiment  with  the  tadpoles.  What 
was  the  effect  of  alcohol  on  the  tadpoles?  Does  it  appear  to  you  that 
alcohol  is  bad  for  growing  animals?  If  alcohol  stunts  the  growth  of 
growing  animals,  is  it  likely  that  it  injures  an  animal  already  grown  ? 


162  EMERGENCIES 

Chapter  XX 

Why  arc  more  boys  than  girls  bitten  by  dogs?  How  old  are  the 
boys  who  arc  usually  bitten?  What  does  this  seem  to  indicate?  What 
is  a  dog's  way  of  self-defense?  Did  you  ever  see  a  mad  dog?  Why  do 
you  think  the  agents  of  the  Society  for  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals 
have  never  had  hydrophobia?  Tell  four  peculiarities  of  mad  doga 
1  >escribe  the  way  England  exterminated  rabies.  What  is  being  done 
in  the  United  States  ?  What  is  the  treatment  for  dog  bites  ?  What  is 
the  treatment  for  mad-dog  bites  ? 

Chapter  XXI 

What  is  the  name  of  the  opening  at  the  upper  end  of  the  windpipe  ?  at 
the  upper  end  of  the  esophagus  ?  Which  is  the  more  serious  to  obstruct, 
the  opening  into  the  lungs  or  the  opening  into  the  stomach  ?  Explain  why 
one  is  more  dangerous  than  the  other.  What  does  coughing  indicate? 
Tell  how  you  would  dislodge  an  obstruction  in  the  throat.  What  is  the 
simplest  way  of  preventing  choking  accidents  ?  Why  is  it  unsafe  to  swim 
alone  far  from  shore?  What  is  becoming  the  custom  in  long-distance 
swimming?  What  is  a  cramp?  Describe  two  ways  of  relieving  cramps. 
Can  fainting  be  prevented?  Describe  the  case  of  the  girl  in  one  of  the 
New  York  schools.  What  is  the  cause  of  fainting?  State  five  ways  to 
relieve  fainting.  What  is  a  good  position  to  take  if  one  feels  that  he  is 
about  to  faint  ?  What  remedy  is  best  of  all  ?  What  would  you  do  for  a 
person  having  a  fit  ?  Did  you  ever  have  hiccoughs  ?  How  did  you  stop 
them  ?  Give  three  ways  of  stopping  hiccoughs.  How  did  the  old  Creek 
philosopher  Aristophanes  stop  his  attack  ? 

Chapter  XXII 

Can  you  give  the  reason  why  sunstrokes  are  more  common  in  our 
climate  than  in  the  tropics?    Give  two  ways  of  protecting  oneself  from 


QUESTIONS  163 

sunstroke.  Why  must  a  person  who  has  once  had  a  sunstroke  be 
especially  careful?  What  is  the  difference  between  sunstroke  and  heat 
prostration?  What  is  the  difference  in  treatment?  What  is  a  good  way 
to  treat  a  person  who  has  become  frost  bitten  ?  What  is  the  cause  of 
chilblains  ?    What  is  the  remedy  ? 

Chapter  XXI II 

Give  two  reasons  why  it  is  worth  while  to  learn  to  swim.  How  old  were 
you  when  you  learned  ?  At  what  age  do  children  usually  learn  ?  Why 
is  it  difficult  for  a  very  young  child  to  learn  ?  Do  you  know  people  who 
have  forgotten  how  to  swim  ?  What  is  the  one  thing  to  remember  if  you 
fall  overboard  ?  When  is  the  body  lighter  than  the  water  it  displaces  ? 
Give  two  precautions  which  it  is  always  wise  to  remember  when  oul  in 
boats.  When  do  we  have  the  most  accidents  from  drowning?  What  do 
you  think  of  the  plan  of  a  winter  volunteer  life-saving  corps  ? 

Chapter  XXIV 

What  did  Professor  Schaefer  discover  about  the  cause  of  drowning? 
What  is  the  one  important  thing  to  do  ?  Describe  Professor  Schaefer's 
method  of  artificial  breathing.  What  more  than  giving  artificial  breath- 
ing can  be  done?  What  country  has  adopted  Professor  Schaefer's 
method?    At  what  other  times  can  artificial  respiration  be  used? 

{Chapter  XXV 
What  plants  do  you  know  that  are  poisonous  to  the  touch  ?  What  is 
the  poisonous  element  in  poison  ivy?  What  is  a  simple  remedy  for  ivy 
poisoning?  Give  a  medical  remedy.  Tell  the  difference  between  poison 
ivy  and  woodbine.  Tell  the  difference  between  swamp  sumac  and  other 
sumacs.    What  is  the  treatment  for  swamp-sumac  poisoning  ? 


1 64  EMERGEN* 

CHAPTEk    XXVI 

nds  of  poisonous  snakes  are  there  in  the  United  States  ? 
What  are  their  characteristics  ?  Tell  in  which  part  of  the  country  each 
of  these  snakes  is  found.  What  proportion  of  people  bitten  by  poison- 
ous snakes  die  ?  What  is  the  best  treatment  for  snake  bites  ?  Explain 
the  difference  between  the  stinger  of  a  honeybee  and  that  of  the  wasp 
and  the  hornet.  >  simple  remedies  for  bee  stings. 

Chapter  XXVII 

What  good  is  there  in  fearing  lightning  ?  What  attitude  toward  a  storm 
is  more  wholesome  than  fear?  How  can  this  attitude  be  cultivated? 
State  two  precautions  which  it  is  well  to  remember  during  a  thunder- 
storm. Which  is  more  d  tning  or  the  electricity  in  the 
of  a  should  one  treat  strange  wires  ?  What  materials  are  non- 
conductors of  electricity  ?    How  are  burns  from  electricity  treated  ? 

XXVIII 

What  do  you  think  about  the  way  we  celebrate  the  Fourth  of 
Where  are  the  doctors  usually  on  the  Fourth  ?    Why  -  ribe  how 

Springfield,  Massachusetts,  celebrated  the  last  Fourth  of  July.    W 
-  dangerous  ?   \\ "hat  is  the  treatment  for  tetanus  ?    Wh 
important  to  attend  to  wounds  as  soon  as  possible  ? 

XIX 

Lain  the  difference  in  the  heroism  of  the  boy  who  saved  his  com- 

n  from  being  run  over  by  a  car  and  the  saved  the  girl 

from  drowning.    What  does  the  first  kind  of  heroism  demand  ?   What 

d  demand?    How  does  the  ving  what 

in  emergencies  affect  v  can 

uhivate  habits  of  bravery  and  coura. 


GLOSS  VRY 


KEY   TO   PRON1   "•<  I  \  i  ION 

f.U,   .vim.    all,   :\-l  .    v. 

(•      ••  her,  thi  re, 

i      "     fee,  Idea,  it.  »Tr,  machine, 

o     "     old.  obey,  n6t,  move,  wolf,  son,  I 
oo    "      food,  t 

u      "      use,  unite,  up,  fur,  rule,  pull, 
y       ••      fly,  myself,  baby,  nnnh. 
au    ••      author. 
saw. 

boy.  Ott 

c    (unmarked)  a.s  in  call  ;      g 
ch  (unrnai>  1  I  hild  ;  cb 

g    (unmarked)     »      go;        gl 
ng         as  in  ring.  n  ( 

s(  =  z)    "      i.s.  Bi  (      SB) 

th    (unmarked)  as  in  thin  ;  tli 
(unmarked)     " 


o| 

(i  (  ib)  "     gracious. 

eh(  k)    "     BCbooL 

ph  (  f)    a.s  in  jil 

I  Kb) 

t lie  11.       ti  (  ib)  "     motion, 


as  in  > 

"     out 

K         p 

"     chaise; 

ink. 


Obscure  sounds:  a.  g,  j,  etc.     Silent  letters  are  ital 


aVi<l,  a  sour  substance  which  de- 
stroys ^n  alkali. 

Sl'ka  ll,  a  substance  which  makes 
an  acid  harmless. 

fall  a  nl'ta,    a     poisonous     mush- 
room. 

Km  mO'nl  a,  an  alkali. 

ant  I  si'ji'ti'-.  a  sul 
kills   microbes. 


Tin  11  lu.x'ln,    a    mm    ■.  ■  ■  •     .-.  Iik  li 

Ar  Is  tdph'i      ' 

■  lai. 


1 66 


EMERGENCIES 


bt  chlo'rlde,  one  of  the  best  anti- 
septics,  a  poison. 

blue  vlt'rl  6l,  a  poison  used  in  elec- 
tric batteries. 

b&rac/Ic  ac'id,  an  antiseptic;  a 
good  eye  wash. 

cap'il  la  rleg,  the  smallest  tubes 
connecting  the  arteries  and 
veins. 

c  ir  bSlIc  ac'id,  a  good  antiseptic  ; 
a  microbe  killer. 

car'ron  oil,  used  for  burns  (made 
from  equal  parts  of  linseed  oil 
and  limewater). 

ca  thar'tle,  a  drug  or  medicine 
which  cleanses  the  bowels. 

cau'ter  Ize,  to  burn  with  a  caustic 

chauffeur  (sho  f  er'),  one  who 
manages  the  running  of  an  auto- 
mobile. 

chll'lila/ii,  a  sore  produced  by  ex- 
posure to  cold. 

clr  cu  lft'tion,  the  movement  of 
blood  in  the  veins  and  ar- 
teries. 

co  ag  u  lft'tion,  the  change  of  a 
liquid  to  a  curdlike  substance. 

con  vul'sion,  involuntary  contrac- 
tions of  the  muscles  of  the 
body. 


c  nirt'Tc,  a  medicine  which  causes 

vomiting. 
8  pi  dcr 'mis,   the    outer    layer    of 

skin. 
c  sSph'a  gus,  the  tube  leading  from 

the  throat  to  the  stomach  ;  the 

gullet. 
v  vap  o  ra'tion,  the  changing  of  a 

fluid  into  vapor, 
ex  perl  ment,  practical  test. 

frac'ture,  com'pound,  the  break- 
ing of  a  bone  in  which  there  is 
an  open  wound. 

frftcture,  slm'ple,  the  breaking  of 
a  bone. 

In  de  pend'ence,  the  quality  of  being 
free  from  the  control  of  others. 

In  fec'tioiis,  having  qualities  that 
may  carry  disease. 

larynx,  the  upper  end  of  the  wind- 
pipe. 

llg'&  ment,  a  fibrous  band  connect- 
ing the  bones  or  organs  of  the 
body. 

lifter,  a  bed  or  stretcher  used  to 
carry  a  sick  person. 

lymph,  an  alkaline,  colorless  fluid 
of  the  body. 


der'mls,  the  deep,  sensitive  layer      ma  nip  ft  lft'tion,  the  act  of  work- 
of  skin  beneath  the  epidermis.  ing  with  the  hands. 


GLOSSARY 


167 


mi'crobe,    an    organism    so   small 

that  you  cannot  see  it  without 

a  microscope, 
niuz'zle,  to  fasten   the   mouth  of 

an    animal    to    keep    it    from 

biting. 

neu'tral  Ize,  to  destroy  the  peculiar 
properties  of  a  substance. 

non  con  duct 'or,  a  substance  which 
will  not  carry  electricity. 

ox'y  gSn,  one  of  the  elements  in 
the  air  which  is  necessary  to 
support  life. 

par 'a  lyze,  to  make  helpless. 

phaVynx,  the  upper  end  of  the 
tube  leading  to  the  stomach. 

phi  los'6  pher,  one  who  lives  ac- 
cording to  the  rules  of  practi- 
cal wisdom. 

phos'phor  lis,  a  poisonous  element 
much  used  on  the  tips  of 
matches. 

pros  tra'tion,  being  deprived  of 
strength. 

pur'ga  tlve,  a  medicine  which 
purges  or  cleans  out  the  ali- 
mentary canal. 

r8s  pi  ra'tion,  the  act  of  breathing, 
re  sfis  ci  ta'tion',  the  act  of  making 
one  breathe. 


ivy  o  lfi'tion  a  rv,  pertaining  to  the 
revolution  of  a  government,  as 
the  Revolutionary  War. 

sal'vage  corps,  a  body  of  men  who 
save  goods  that  are  in  danger 
by  fire  or  water. 

sanitary,  pertaining  to  health; 
hygienic. 

shSck,  a  change  caused  in  the  body 
by  a  disturbance  of  the  circula- 
tion of  the  blood. 

spirom'eter,  an  instrument  to 
measure  the  amount  of  air  taken 
into  the  lungs. 

strych'nine,  a  poison. 

siis  Qgp'ti  ble,  readily  acted  upon. 

syr'inge,  a  small  hand  pump  for 
throwing  a  stream  of  liquid. 

tad'pole,  the  young  of  a  frog, 
tet'anus,    a    dangerous    disease 
(lockjaw). 

tour'ni  ipiet,  an  instrument  to  hold 
(60)  (k) 

back  the  flow  of  blood. 
tur'pSn  tine,  a  poisonous  fluid. 
twee'zerg,  small  pinchers. 

vol'tage,  a  measure  of  the  quantity 
of  electricity. 

wa'ter  mdc'casln,  a  poisonous 
snake. 


INDEX 


Accidents,    accounts    of,    gathered   by 
clipping  bureau,  4. 

number  of,  in  1908,  15. 

statistics  of  street,  15. 

hospital  relief  for.  46. 

description  of  cases  of,  47-49. 

treatment  of,  in  hospitals,  47-50. 

danger  of  delay  in  case  of,  49. 

causes  of,  49,  51. 
Acid,  poisoning  by,  83. 
Air  rifles,  the  danger  of,  8. 
Alcohol,  evil  effects  of,  95-100. 

experiments  on  animals  with,  97- 
100. 

a  hindrance  to  growth,  97-100. 

in  the  treatment  of  ivy  poisoning, 

doubtful  remedy  in  case  of  snake 
bite,  138. 
Alcoholic    liquors,  effect    of,  on    acci- 
dents, 49.  50. 
why  forbidden  to  firemen,  63,  64. 
evil  effects  of,  95-100. 
Alkali,  poisoning  by,  St,- 
Ankle,  sprained,  how  to  treat,  22. 
Antidotes,  for  poisoning,  82-94. 
Antiseptics,  use  of,  2. 

effect  of,  on  accident  insurance,  2. 
use  of,  as  germ  killers,  36-3S. 
Arsenic,  poisoning  by.  85,  89. 
Artificial     respiration,     directions     for 
producing,  126-130. 
experiments  in,  126-129. 
to  restore  patient  shocked  by  elec- 
tricity, 144. 


Ayres  and   Gulick,  Medical  Inspection 
of  Schools,  67 

Bandages,  how  to  prepare  hot  and  wet, 
for  bruises,  34,  35. 

roller,  39. 

triangular,  39-44- 

scalp.  41,  42. 

hand.  42,  43. 

foot,  43. 

ear,  43,  44. 

eye,  44. 

finger.  44. 

toe,  44. 

note  to  teacher  about,  45. 
Bees,  treatment  of  stings  from,  139. 
Berries,  poisonous,  86,  134. 
Bichloride  of  mercury,  antiseptic  quali- 
ties of,  37. 
Bichloride  tablets.  37. 

treatment  for  poisoning  by,  91. 
Bites,  dog.  victims  from.   101,  105-107. 

dog,  treatment  of,  107. 

frost,  treatment  of,  1  iS. 
Bleeding  of   the   nose,  treatmenl    for, 

79,  Si. 
Blisters,  care  of,  61. 
Blue  vitriol,  treatment  for  poisoning  by, 

91. 
Bonfires,  danger  of,  55.  56 
Boracic  acid,  antiseptic  qualities  ..I.   57, 
bruises,  treatment  of.  34,  35. 
bumblebees,  treatment  of  stings  from, 

139- 

burns,  how  to  act  in  case  of,  52-61. 


169 


iyo 


EMERGENCIES 


Burns,  accidents  from,  52-62. 
how  cared  for,  57    62. 
w.ncr  treatment  of,  5S-60. 
first-degree,  treatment  of,  59,  60, 

61. 
second-degree,  treatment  of,  59.  60. 
third-degree,  treatment  of,  59,  60. 
oil  treatment  of,  60,  62. 
carbolic-acid  treatment  of,  90. 
caused  by  electricity,  144. 

Camphor,  treatment  for  poisoning  by, 

91. 
Candies,  arsenic  in  coloring  of  cheap 

grades  of,  X5. 
Caps,  dynamite,  danger  of,  7. 
(  aibolic  acid,  as  an  antiseptic,  37. 

treatment  for  burns  by.  90. 

treatment  for  poisoning  by.  91. 
Carrying     the     injured,    handkerchief 
seat  for,  10. 

blanket  ring  for,  1 1. 

by  use  of  litters,  12,  13. 

when  victim  is  helpless,  13. 
Cartridges,  danger  of,  7. 
Chilblains,  treatment  of,  119. 
Choking,  treatment  of,  10S-110. 

accidents  from,  109,  110. 
City  relief,  for  cases  of  accident,  46. 
Clipping  bureau,  accounts  of  accidents 

gathered  by,  4. 
Cool-headedness,  value  of,  4. 
<  ramps,  drowning  a  result  from,  1 10. 

in  leg,  remedy  for,  1 1  1 . 
Cuts,  accidents  from,  30-34. 

treatment  of,  30-34. 

Dogs,  bites  of,  101,  105-107. 

danger  of  teasing,  101,  102. 

photograph  of  ambulance  for.  103. 

mad,  symptoms  of.  104. 

stamping  out   rabies  by  muzzling, 
106. 
Drills,  fire,  in  New  York  City,  3. 


I  downing,  lives  saved  from,  120-125. 
reason  for.  124. 
resuscitation  from,  126-130. 

Ear  bandage,  how  to  make,  43,  44. 
Eggs,  white  of,  as  antidote  in  all  cases 

of  poisoning,  S3. 
Electricity,  accidents  from,  1 41-144. 

nonconductors  of,  143-144. 

protection  against,  144. 
Emetics,    for  accidents   by  poisoning, 

S2-94. 
Ether,  treatment  for  poisoning  by,  93. 
Eye  bandage,  how  to  make.  44. 
Eves,  troubles  of  the,  67-7 1 . 

examinations  of  school  children's, 

67. 
protection  of,  while  reading,  68-69. 
how  to   remove   foreign   particles 

from,  69-7 1 . 
black,  treatment  of,  71. 

Fainting,  how  to  control,  1 1 1,  112. 

treatment  for,  112. 

how  to  prevent,  1 12. 
Finger  bandage,  how  to  make,  44. 
Fire,  how  to  smother,  52-54. 

precautions  against,  55. 

accidents  by,  and  how  they  occur, 

55-  56- 

danger  of  playing  with,  55. 

city  protection  against.  63,  64. 

what  to  do  in  case  of,  65. 

on  shipboard,  65. 
Fire  drills,  in  New  York  City.  3. 
firearms,  the  way  to  handle,  6. 
Firemen,  requirements  of,  63-65. 
Fireworks,  danger  of.  145-150. 
fishhooks,  treatment  of  wounds  from.  27. 
kits,  treatment  of.  I  13. 

cause  of,  in  children.  113. 
Flannelette,  inflammability  of.  52,  54,  55. 

experiments  with,  showing  inflam- 
mability of,  55. 


M)i;.\ 


171 


Foot  bandage,  how  to  make.  1  ;. 
Fordham  hospital,  photographs  of,  47, 
48. 

Fourth  of  July,  accidents  on,  145-150. 

hospital  preparations  for,  145-146. 

clangers  of,  145,  149,  150. 

different  and  better  ways  of  cele- 
brating, 147-14'). 
Frost  bites,  treatment  of,  1  iS. 

danger  of,  1 19. 

Gasoline,  treatment  for   poisoning  by, 

90. 
Granny  knot,  how  to  make.  40,  41. 
Gulick  and  Ayres,   Medical  Inspection 

of  Schools,  67. 

Hand  bandage,  how  to  make,  42,  43. 
Hand   burns,  illustration    of  treatment 

of,  62. 
Handkerchief,  as  a  seat,  10,  11. 

as  a  bandage,  39. 
Heat  prostration,  prevention  of,  116, 1 17. 

cause  of,  117,  1  iS. 

treatment  of,  1 17. 

bulletin  issued  by  Department  of 
Health  in  relation  to,  1 17. 
Heroism,  in  boys  and  girls,  1 51-154. 

accounts  of,  151 -154. 
Hiccoughs,  treatment  of,  113,  114. 
Hornets,  treatment  of  stings  from,  139. 
Hospital,   Fordham,    New    York   City, 

47- 
children's  ward  in,  48. 
Hospitals,    treatment     of     emergency 
cases  at,  47-50. 

Injured,  how  to  carry,  10-13. 
Insurance  against  accidents,  cheapened 

by  antiseptics,  2. 
Iodine,    treatment    for    poisoning    by, 

89. 
Ivy,  poison,  danger  of,  131-134. 
where  found,  131,  132. 


I\\.  poison,  how  recognized,  1  ',-•.  134. 
treatment  for  poisoning  by,  132    1  54. 

Knives,  open,  accidents  from,  32,  ^ 
Knots,  granny.  40,  41. 

square,  40,  41 . 
Knowledge,  special,  value  of,  in  case  of 
accidents,  152,  1  53. 

Lead  poison,  treatment  of.  93. 

Light,  how  it  should  fall  on  the  book 

while  reading,  68,  <»>. 
Lightning,  fear  of,  unnecessary,  141. 

precautions  against.  142. 
Lockjaw,    danger    of,    from    rusty-nail 
wounds,  26. 
caused  by  Fourth  of  July  accidents, 

145-150. 
antitoxin  as  a  preventive  of,  1  50. 
Lye,  poisoning  by,  92. 

Mad  dogs,  victims  of,  1 01 -107. 
Matches,  accidents  due  to  playing  with, 
55,  56,  64,  65. 
advantage  of  safety,  56. 
phosphorus,  treatment  for  poison- 
ing by,  88. 
Medical  Inspection  of  Schools,  by  Gulick 

and  Ayres,  67. 
Microbes,  killed  by  antiseptics,  2. 

how  to  destroy,  36. 
Morphine,  treatment  for  poisoning  by, 

94- 
Mushrooms,    caution    against    picking, 
85,86. 

Xails.  rusty,  treatment  of  wounds  from, 

26. 
Needles,  accidents  from.  28. 
New  York  school  fire  drills.   5. 
Nose,  accidents  to  the,  77-79. 

bleeding,  treatment  for,  79-81. 

Oils,  in  case  of  burns,  60,  62. 


I  ~2 


EMERGENCIES 


Paris  green,  treatment  for  poisoning 
by.  - 

I    steur  Institutes,  location  of,  107. 

Phosphorus  matches,  treatment  for  poi- 
soning by.  88. 

Pistols,  toy.  danger  of,  149. 

Plants,   poisonous  to   the   touch,    131- 

136- 
Tlaster,  surgeon's,  how  to  use,  44.   15. 
Playing  on  street,  the  danger  of.  15-18. 
Poison  ivy,  danger  of,  1 31-134. 

where  found.  1 31-132. 

how  recognized.  132,  134. 

treatment  of,  132-134. 
Poisoning,  by  splinters,  29. 

what  to  do  in  case  of  accidents  by, 
S2-S7. 

by  acid.  83. 

by  alkali.  83. 

eggs,  white  of,  as  antidote   in  all 
cases  of,  83. 

by  coloring  of  cheap  candies,  85. 

by  arsenic,  85,  89. 

antidotes,  SS-94. 

by  plants.  85-S7.  1  31  —  136. 

by  phosphorus,  88. 

by  Paris  green,  89. 

by  turpentine,  89. 

by  iodine.  89. 

by  strychnine,  89. 

by  gasoline,  90,  91. 

by  carbolic  acid,  90,  91. 

by  camphor,  9] . 

by  bichloride  tablets,  91. 

by  blue  vitriol,  91. 

by  sulphate  of  copper,  91. 

by  lye,  92. 

by  alcohol,  95-100. 

by  snake  bites.  137-139- 

by  stings  of  insects.  139.  140. 
by  powder,  149. 
:..  treatment  for  poisoning  by.  94. 
Presence  of  mind,  value  of,  151-154. 
Punctured  wounds,  treatment  of,  25-29. 


Rabies,  prevention  of,  104. 

decrease    of,    when    dogs    were 

muzzled,   105. 
decrease  of,  in   England,  and  why, 

104-106. 
diagram  showing  increase  and  de- 
crease of,  105. 
study  of.  by  United  States  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture.  106. 
Rat  poison,  treatment  for  poisoning  by, 

So.  94. 
Rattlesnake,    how    to    recognize,    and 

where  found,    137. 
Reading,  correct  position  for,  68,  69. 
Respiration,  artificial,  experiments  in, 
126-130. 
directions     for     producing.     126- 
1 30. 
Resuscitation  from  drowning,  Professor 
Schaefer's  method  of,   121 
teachers  urged  to  give  practice  to 
children  in,  130. 
Revolvers,  danger  of  playing  with,  5. 
Rifles,  air,  danger  from.  S. 
Roller  bandage,  how  to  use.  y  >. 
Rusty  nails,  treatment  of  wounds  from, 
26. 

Scalds,  treatment  of,  61. 
Scalp  bandage,  how  to  make,  41.  42, 
Schaefer,    Professor,  experiments  and 
methods  of,  in  producing  artifi- 
cial respiration,  126-129. 
Scissors,  open,  danger  from,  33,  34. 
Scratches,  care  of.  37. 
Self-possession,  value  of,  \- 
Sling,  how  to  make.  40.  41. 
Snakes,  poisonous,  137-139- 

harmless,  137. 

rattlesnake,  1  $7. 

copperhead,  137,  138. 

water  moccasin.   1  57,  1  38. 

coral,  137.  [38. 

treatment  of  bites  by,  13S,  139. 


INDKX 


17; 


Soothing  sirup,  treatment  for  poison- 
ing by,  94. 

Splinters,  danger  of,  29. 
how  to  remove   29. 

Sprains,  how  to  treat,  21-24. 

Square  knot,  how  to  make,  40,  41. 

Stings  of  insects,  treatment  for,  139,140. 

Street  cars,  how  to  get  on  and  off,  19, 20. 

Strychnine,  treatment  for  poisoning  by. 
89. 

Sulphate  of  copper,  treatment  for  poi- 
soning by,  91. 

Sumac,  swamp,  treatment  for  poisoning 

by>  J35- 
how  recognized,  136. 
Sunburn,  treatment  of,  6i. 
Sunstroke,  why  common  in  our  climate. 

"5- 

protection  against,  115,  116. 

need  for  especial  care  after,  1 16. 

bulletin   issued  by  Department  of 
Health  in  relation  to,  117. 

prevention  of,  117. 

treatment  of,  1 17. 

cause  of,  117,  1 18. 
Surgeon's  plaster,  how  to  use,  44. 
Swamp  sumac,  treatment  for  poisoning 

b>-<  '35- 
how  recognized,  136. 
Swimming,  need  for  learning,  120. 
as  a  sport,  122. 
as  a  help  in  accidents,  1 21-125. 

Teeth,  accidents  to,  72. 
replacing,  72,  7^. 
care  of,  72-76. 


Teeth,  cavities,  and  how  t<>  treat,  73. 
ice  treatment,  in  cases  of  inflam- 
mation, 7  |. 
baby,  7 1. 
pe:  manent,  74- 
danger  of  decayed,  75,  76. 
questions  and  answers  relating  to, 

76. 
cleansing  of,  when  and  why,  76. 
contracts  with  ch-niisis  for  1  .ire  of, 
76. 
Tetanus  germs,  illustration  of.  149. 
Tobacco,  treatment  for  poisoning  by, 

87.  94- 
Toe  bandage,  how  to  make,  44. 
Toy  pistols,  danger  of,  149. 
Triangular    bandage,    how    to    make, 

39-45- 
for  emergencies,  39,  40. 
different  ways  of  using,  39-44. 
Turpentine,  treatment  for  poisoning  by, 

89. 

Vitriol,  blue,   treatment   for   poisoning 
by,  91. 

Wasps,  treatment  of  stings  from,  139. 
Water,  in  case  of  burns.  ^7.  58. 
as  emetic  in  poisoning,  82. 
Whisky,  treatment   for   poisoning  by, 

94- 
Wounds,  treatment  of,  25-38. 
Wrist,  sprained,  how  t<>  treat,  23. 

Yellow    jackets,    treatment     of     stings 
from,  139. 


ANNOUNCEMENTS 


AMONG    COUNTRY    SCHOOLS 

By  O.  J.   KERN 

Superintendent  of  Schools,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois 


i2mo.     Cloth.     366  pages.     Illustrated.     List  price,  $1.25  ;   mailing  price,  $1.35 


THE  author's  endeavor  in  preparing  this  work  has 
been  to  create  a  new  ideal  in  the  training  of  the 
country  child. 

The  book  is  the  result  of  seven  years  of  very  earnest 
thought  and  hard  work  in  an  endeavor  to  secure  for  the 
country  child  his  rights  so  far  as  an  educational  opportunity 
is  concerned.  The  country  school  should  have  that  freedom 
which  country  life  affords.  This  book  has  but  little  to  say 
about  the  mechanics  of  school  management. 

In  the  training  of  children  and  the  development  of  char- 
acter no  greater  opportunity  can  be  offered  than  that  now 
presented  to  the  teacher  in  the  country  school.  The  author 
hopes  that  this  book  will  prove  suggestive  to  the  teacher  and 
school  officer  who.  are  striving  for  the  spiritualization  of 
country  life  through  the  medium  of  the  school.  He  believes 
that  a  careful  reading  of  its  pages  will  show  a  practical  way 
of  interesting  the  "farm  child  through  farm  topics." 

Some  of  the  chapter  titles,  indicating  the  suggestions  given 
in  this  distinctly  novel  treatise,  are  : 

THE  RIGHTS   OF  THE  COUNTRY  CHILD 

OUTDOOR  ART  — BEAUTIFYING   SCHOOL  GROUNDS 

INDOOR   ART  AND  DECORATION 

A  FARMER  BOY'S  EXPERIMENT  CLUB 

THE  COUNTRY  SCHOOL  AND  THE  FARMERS'  INSTITUTE 


GINN   &   COMPANY   Publishers 


HODGE'S 
NATURE    STUDY    AND    LIFE 

By  CLIFTON   F.    HODGE 

Assistant  Professor  of  Physiology  and  Neurology  in  Clark  University,  Worcester,  Mass. 

With  an  Introduction  by  Dr.  <I.  Stam.ky   Hall.     Cloth.     514  pages. 

Illustrated.     List  price,  $1.50;  mailing  price,  fi.65 


NATURE  STUDY  AND  LIFE  has  twice  formed  the  basis  for 
nature-study  courses  in  the  Clark  University  Summer  School  ; 
it  has  further  stood  the  more  practical  test  of  teachers'  institutes 
in  various  states ;  and,  finally,  its  most  important  suggestions  have 
been  tried  thoroughly  in  the  schoolroom.  The  work  contains  the 
results  of  five  years'  special  study.  In  the  point  of  view,  in  the  selec- 
tion of  the  subject-matter,  and  in  the  presentation  of  methods  of 
conducting  the  work,  this  book  marks  a  definite  advance  over  other 
publications  on  the  subject  of  nature  study. 

It  is  a  determined  reaction  against  the  special  and  technical,  and 
forms  an  earnest  effort  to  give  fundamental  and  universal  interests  in 
nature  their  deserved  place  in  our  system  of  public  education.  After 
presenting  this  point  of  view  clearly  in  the  opening  chapter,  the  book 
takes  up  concrete  lessons  on  the  animals  and  plants  that  form  the  nat- 
ural environment  of  the  home,  and  group  themselves  most  closely  about 
the  life  and  interests  of  the  child.  I^ach  form  is  studied  alive  and  at 
work,  as  a  life  story  to  be  read  at  first  hand  in  nature  and  especially  in 
its  relations  to  man. 

The  book  is  a  i2mo,  bound  attractively  in  blue  and  gold,  so  that  the 
volume  is  eminently  appropriate  in  appearance  not  only  for  the  school- 
room but  also  for  the  home  reading  table  or  bookshelf.  The  illustra- 
tions are  of  unusual  value  and  interest.  The  whole  plan  and  make-up 
of  the  book  have  been  kept  in  as  close  harmony  as  possible  with  the 
excellence  and  high  character  of  the  text  itself. 

From  the  School  Review  ^  Chicago 

The  publishers  do  not  overstate  the  merits  of  this  book  when  they  say  that  it  is  one 
of  the  most  notable  nature-study  books  now  published.  The  emphasis  is  upon  nature,  — 
not  upon  study,  —  and  life  is  never  sacrificed  to  sonic  fancied  correlation  or  some  narrow 
scientific  application.  The  illustrations  are  singularly  felicitous  in  that  they  show  us  not 
only  nature  but  also  human  nature  in  the  persons  of  interested  girls  and  boys.  '1  Ins  is  a 
book  lor  the  home  as  well  as  for  the  school.  It  is  scientific  in  its  knowledge,  simple 
in  its  phraseology,  and  fascinating  in  its  style. 


(JINN   &   COMPANY   Publishers 


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